Where the Heart Is
by FizzingWhizbeez
Summary: ON HIATUS Fleur Delacour has left home to work at Gringotts, seeking a life different from the one she's always known. The last thing she expects is to fall for a man like Bill Weasley, who teaches her more about herself than anyone else ever has.
1. Leaving France

This is so random; never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would write a Bill-Fleur story. But, then again, they say you should "expect the unexpected"... which doesn't make sense because if you expect the unexpected, the unexpected becomes the expected and is no longer _un_expected therefore you can never expect the unexpected. Yeah, well... _anyway, _back to the story...

**Chapter 1**

"Au revoir, Papa."

Nineteen-year-old Fleur Delacour stood in the doorway of her father's study, suitcase in hand. She was leaving home; for real this time. Her time spent away at Beauxbatons didn't count. Now she was an adult, and was going to make her own way in the world, starting with a desk job at Gringotts, the bank in London. Never had she left France before. Some parental support would have been helpful...

But her father didn't even look up from his papers. "Au revoir, Fleur," he said briskly. His quill did not pause; he kept writing without even a smile for his daughter.

Fleur sighed. Her father was all about business. Years ago, he had been a romantic suitor who had won the heart of her mother, a beautiful woman whose mother had been a veela. But now, once the romance and passion of her parents' marriage were over, Fleur's father's focus had turned only on his career.

Her mother's goodbye was nearly the same. Fleur had expected that.

"Au revoir, Fleur," she said, momentarily looking up from applying blush to her cheeks to blow a quick kiss to her daughter. She was getting ready for a party, as usual.

"Au revoir," Fleur replied, but her mother had already returned to preening in front of the mirror. Fleur rolled her eyes and went to the front foyer. No one was going to miss her at all. That is, except for—

"Fleur!" There was a sudden cry and then someone was flying into her arms.

Gabrielle.

Fleur held her little sister tightly. She was the only person Fleur would miss, and the only person who would miss Fleur.

"Dois-tu partir, Fleur?" Gabrielle asked tearfully.

"Oui," Fleur replied gently. She took the little girl's face in her hands. "Gabrielle, tu es la seule personne dans le monde que j'adore."

Gabrielle wrapped her little arms around Fleur. "I love you," she said in broken English. "I will miss you so much."

Fleur wondered how long it had taken her sister to look that up in the dictionary. Gabrielle, who was only eight, wouldn't learn to speak English officially until she started school at Beauxbatons three years later.

Fleur kissed her sister fondly. "And I will miss you. Au revoir, Gabrielle. Je t'adore."

As she Apparated from the Delacour mansion, the only image that remained in Fleur's mind was of the little face that was so similar to hers, and the tears that ran down Gabrielle's cheeks.

* * *

A/N: short chapter, I know, and not that great. But then again, we're not up to the Bill part yet so how can it be great? lol. For those of you who are still awaiting _Confessions_, my Angelia-Fred/Alicia-George story, it'll be up soon, I promise. Luv y'all! 

PS- if I got my French wrong, someone tell me!


	2. Bill Weasley

Thanks so much to my reviewers:

**Flame02**, **Tears-of-Love-Tears-of-Hate, mello80,** **Doodleflip, Asphodele, skinnyrita, Gemmn'2590, Ghost Flame, **and** Tanydwr.**

I don't think I got my French wrong, but thanks to everyone for their criticism. All you non-French speakers—don't worry, I won't be using it too often, but when I do, I'll try to put in translations!

Here's where Fleur meets Bill. Hint: the relationship has a rather rocky start, but… well, you'll see. Hope you like it!

**Chapter 2**

Bill whistled cheerfully as he walked through the busy streets of Diagon Alley. He walked confidently with a jaunty step, his fang earring swinging as he made his way towards Gringotts Bank.

His steps slowed as he caught sight of a beautiful, blonde woman coming from the opposite direction. Countless men were looking her up and down from head to toe, but she didn't seem to notice.

The woman continued in her direction towards Bill. As she passed him, she paused and pulled out a map. She looked at it blankly, and although Bill knew she was confused, she still kept the proud, confident look on her face.

Bill approached her and asked, "Lost?"

She looked up at him, tucking a loose strand of nearly-white blond hair behind her ear. "No," she said haughtily, her voice rich with a foreign accent. "I can find my own way."

"Really?" Bill asked, raising an eyebrow. "And where, pray tell, are you going?"

She jutted her chin out defiantly. "Gringotts. Why do you ask?"

Bill chuckled. "Well you're going in the complete opposite direction," he said, before turning and heading towards Gringotts himself.

* * *

Fleur had never felt so stupid. But she kept her composure as she walked up the stone steps of Gringotts Bank, her head help up proudly and her back ramrod straight. She would never let anyone see the confusion and distress that were growing inside of her. Luckily, someone greeted her immediately. 

"You must be Fleur Delacour," said the pretty brunette. "I'm Mandy, and I was assigned to show you the ropes today."

"The ropes?" Fleur asked in bewilderment. "What ropes?"

Mandy laughed. "Never mind. It's an expression. I'm just going to show you how things are done here." Fleur didn't reply. "So… would you like a tour?" Mandy asked, a bit hesitantly.

Fleur shrugged carelessly. She was used to not replying to anyone when she didn't feel like it. Mandy frowned, but led Fleur around the bank. Finally she showed Fleur to her own little office, where she would complete her work.

"Think you know the basics now?" Mandy asked, making a last attempt to be friendly. Fleur merely nodded. Mandy sighed. "Well, you're allowed ten-minute breaks between two-hour periods, and you get an hour off for lunch at twelve. During the breaks, you can hang out with the rest of us in the staffroom, if you want."

"Perhaps," Fleur said briskly, before returning to her work.

* * *

Fleur managed to find her way to the staffroom by following the smell of coffee that wafted into the hallway from the doorway. As she pulled out a chair and sat down, she nearly jumped when she saw who she had sat next to. 

It was the tall man who had pointed her in the right direction that morning. She immediately recognized the honest, handsome face, the long ponytail of copper hair, and the fang earring. Fleur flushed inwardly with embarrassment, but her outward appearance was perfectly calm and composed.

"Bill, this is Fleur Delacour," Mandy said as she sat beside them. "Fleur, this is Bill Weasley."

_Weasley_, Fleur repeated in her head. _Where have I heard the name Weasley before? And why does his face seem so familiar?…_

"We've met before," Bill said calmly. Fleur's eyes narrowed. He seemed to be the only man working for the bank who wasn't drooling over her after falling in love with her at first sight.

"Yes, in a way," Fleur replied coolly. Mandy's eyes darted from Bill to Fleur, looking a bit confused.

"Oh. I see."

Fleur stood wordlessly and poured herself a cup of coffee from the counter. She sat back down, blowing on the hot liquid, and took a sip.

"This is disgusting," she complained, making a face. "How can anyone drink this?"

Bill took a sip from his mug. "I think it's delicious," he replied, staring back at her with a challenging look in his eyes.

Fleur narrowed her eyes. "And London is too noisy," she said. "There are too many people here."

"I think London is a wonderful city," he shot back. "It's perfect the way it is."

"People in France have better manners, also."

"Apparently not."

Their gazes were locked on each other, and Mandy squirmed uncomfortably. "Can we give it a rest?" she pleaded.

Fleur stood up and left. There was an uncomfortable tension between her and that Bill Weasley that she did not like. She had just reached her office when she realized that she had left the key to it in the staffroom. She went back to get it when she heard voices floating out the doorway.

"She's a stuck-up little bitch," a woman was saying. "She thinks she's better than everyone else."

"Perhaps we should get to know her better before making a final judgment," Mandy said in defense of Fleur. "I think everyone deserves a second chance."

"Anyone but _her_," the other woman spat.

"She's hot," a man spoke up. "I'd shag her any day." All the men were laughing by now. There was the sound of a slap, as if the resentful woman had hit one of them.

"What do you think, Bill?" someone asked. "A face like hers must be welcome after such a long time in Egypt away from our hot European chicks."

"I think she's shallow," Bill replied. "Beautiful, yes, but there is no depth to her at all. And that kind of woman is not worth having."

Fleur froze. What did he mean by calling her 'shallow?' Shallow was the opposite of deep. A lake was deep. A puddle was shallow. And that meant there was no "depth" to her, and…. she was "not worth having."

The other men laughed. "You look too much into character, Weasley," one of them said. "As long as the woman's hot, and you get to spend one night with her, that's all that matters, right?"

"Bet she's a tricky one, though," another snickered. "You can't trust a woman with veela blood in her veins." There was a roar of laughter.

Fleur trembled with rage. They spoke of her as they would a prostitute, a cheap whore that all the men had a go at for one night's amusement. But she was worth much more than that. Oh no, Fleur Delacour would not be spoken of that way.

Fleur stormed into the room and stood in the center with her hands on her hips. Every single person in the room froze, and their laughter died on their lips.

She wanted to say everything she'd wanted to say since she'd arrived in England. She wanted to say that she hated the cramped flat she had moved into, she wanted to say that she hated the noisy bustle of London, she wanted to say that she hated the monotony of her desk job. Most of all, she wanted to say that she hated them. With a passion.

But a Delacour always kept her composure. That had always been drilled into her by her mother and grandmother.

So she calmly walked up to the table at the center of the room and stopped when she reached it, right in front of the chair that Bill was sitting in. Everyone in the room held his breath in anticipation. This was going to be good entertainment; she was going to blow up at Bill for calling her shallow.

But she didn't. Instead, she calmly reached behind him and took her key in her hand. Then she walked out, always composed, always calm. She could feel the stares in her direction, but most of all, she was ever-conscious of Bill's eyes on her as she left.

Fleur opened the door to her office and sank down into her chair. _Fleur Delacour never cries,_ she told herself fiercely. But still, there were unshed tears in her eyes.

She hated England. She hated everything about it. Oh how she wanted to return to France, where everything was warm and familiar to her! But taking this job had been a challenge for herself; she would stick it out for at least a year.

She thought back to what they had said about her. Bill had said she was "shallow;" obviously it wasn't a good thing since he thought she was a woman "not worth having." Then the others had said, "You can't trust a woman with veela blood in her veins." They had laughed, and it had hurt. Only Mandy had spoken up in defense for her.

Suddenly, Fleur remembered something, and she didn't know whether it comforted or disturbed her.

The only one besides Mandy who hadn't laughed was Bill.


	3. Deception

**Tears-of-Love-Tears-of-Hate**- lol yes, poor Fleur…  
**mello80**- aw thanks. Actually, I'm trying to balance it out—have moderately long chapters with not-so-long breaks in between. But then again, is a long chapter for me a short chapter for you? you tell me… :)  
**XO Moonsong**- thanks for mentioning the earring! After reading your review I went and looked it up and saw I made a mistake; I said he had _earrings_ in the plural sense in the story. I have to go fix it now… So muchos gracias!  
**Gemm'n2590**- thanks! now go before your mum chops off your head the way mine does when I'm doing Fanfiction instead of hw.  
**Asphodele**- yes, yes, yes, you're right, and kudos to you for remembering that! I was going to put it in when she first meets him, but I completely forgot. However, I'll bring that up in this chapter. Thanks for the reminder!  
**Star of the North**- eek! Yes, they would have _adorable_ children. Almost as beautiful as mine and Sean Biggerstaff's… (wink wink). Thanks so much for your support!  
**Doodleflip**- thanks!  
**Gallon of Firewhiskey**- eek! I _cannot_ stop obsessing over your new penname; I absolutely adore it! It inspired me to change mine too… :) thanks for reviewing! PS—still need a beta for that story? I'll be more than happy to volunteer if you haven't found one already… just tell me what you need me to do.  
**thequeeneb- **thanks so much! I must admit i'm not really into the bill/fleur thing either, even though I like the pairing, so i have no idea why i started this!  
**illyria-light**- thanks! like i told thequeeneb, i wasn't into the bill/fleur thing but suddenly this random thought popped into my head, "hey! Write a Bill/Fleur fic!" so that's how this came to be… :)  
**passionflower24**- oooh thank you! Well yes, Fleur's going to keep her bitchiness and arrogance for the moment, because she _is_ rather stuck-up. However, as you said, Bill will help her change. The question is… how? Well you'll see!  
**She-Who-Snogs-Weasly-Boys**- wow thank you! I really do hope it's good. About updates—I'm really, really trying to update ASAP; my goal is once a week. Thanks for the review!  
**Slytherin Queen**- thanks!

Wow I must say I'm really surprised by the turnout of reviews for this story. I assumed "Confessions" would do better, since people generally like stories featuring the Weasleys better, and I didn't think people would be that interested in Bill/Fleur. Hmm… oh well, you guys proved me wrong. I hope this story's as successful by the end as I consider it now!

Also, Asphodele brought up something that I failed to mention before. Fleur and Bill did see each other before this; or, at least, Fleur saw Bill. It was in Book 4 when Bill and Mrs. Weasley come to watch the 3rd task, and it says Fleur was watching him with interest or something like that. I'll mention that in this chapter.

One last thing to point out—my brother was being annoying and was looking over my shoulder as I was typing and he said, "Fleur is supposed to have an accent." And, as I told him, I know Fleur has an accent and says things like "eez" instead of "is," but I think it's a pain in the derriere to type up all her weird French sayings, so I'm typing her speech up as normal English.

**Chapter 3**

"Mandy."

It was the end of the day, and Fleur stopped the brunette on her way out. She wanted to exchange words with the brunette who had spoken up for her, even though she finally had the freedom to go home.

Mandy looked uncomfortable. "Look…" she began awkwardly. "What they said about you… well, they didn't mean it."

Fleur raised an eyebrow delicately, and Mandy sighed. "Okay, maybe they did," she admitted. "But Barbara was just being the jealous bitch she always is, and the guys… well they always talk like that."

"Why did you defend me?" Fleur asked straightforwardly. "What have I done for you that made you stand up for me?"

Mandy looked taken aback. "Oh, well… um, I don't know. I just truly believe that people deserve a second chance, even though they don't treat you very nicely." She looked pointedly at Fleur, as if she expected her to be angry at her for what she had just said.

But Fleur only smiled. She was neither grateful nor appreciative for Mandy's defense of her, but her honesty amused her.

"Right," she replied with a smile. "What do you think of having dinner together?"

Mandy beamed. "Sounds great!"

Fleur scoffed inwardly at the other woman, who was so easily won over. Such an innocent would not survive long in a cruel world such as this.

Mandy led the way to a small Italian restaurant. As they sat sipping their wine, Fleur commanded, "So tell me about yourself."

Mandy set her glass down on the table. "Well," she began. "I've lived in England all my life. I was born in Yorkshire, and—"

"That's nice," Fleur said impatiently. "What about now?"

"Well," Mandy said, looking a bit surprised. "I live in London now. Um... I'm twenty-one... and... I don't know. What do you want me to say?"

"Are you interested in anyone?" Fleur asked, leaning forward and resting her chin in her hands.

Mandy blushed. "Well... there's this guy named Greg. At Gringotts, I mean. He works two desks down from yours."

"The tall dark-haired one, you mean."

Mandy blushed even more. "Yes."

Fleur calmly sipped her wine and said nothing. Agitated by her companion's lack of words, Mandy leaned forward and grasped Fleur's hand.

"You won't try anything... like that, would you?" she asked desperately. "I mean, you're so beautiful... any guy, including him, would be your slave if you only looked at him."

Fleur laughed harshly. She pulled her hand out of Mandy's. "Now you are speaking nonsense."

"It is _not _nonsense," Mandy said urgently. "I've liked him for two years, Fleur, ever since I started working here. But he doesn't even seem to notice me... oh, Fleur, promise you won't...?"

Fleur marveled at the desperate tone of voice of her companion. Surely Mandy couldn't care about Greg _that_ much?

"You can trust me," she replied, and Mandy sighed visibly with relief.

"Thanks. Now what about who you fancy?"

Fleur let out a peal of merry laughter. "Fancy anyone? Here?"

"Well perhaps you don't think our English blokes are as good as the French," Mandy said good-naturedly. "But surely there must be_ somone_... oh, yes, I wanted to ask you before... how do you know Bill Weasley?"

Fleur looked up in surprise. "Bill Weasley?"

"You seem to know each other a bit. But why do you practically bite each other's heads off?"

"What does that mean—biting each other's heads off?" Fleur asked crossly.

"That you don't exactly get along too well," Mandy explained. "But tell me, do you really know him?"

"Not at all, and I'm glad I do not."

"Oh, he's not all that bad," Mandy replied. "He's really nice; I just don't know why he's crossing swords with you." Fleur raised an eyebrow, and Mandy hastily explained, "Which means he doesn't get along with you. I think he's really cool; did you know he's a cursebreaker for Gringotts and works in Egypt?"

"Then why is he here?" Fleur asked skeptically.

Mandy shrugged. "I wouldn't know... but I _do_ know that he has the cutest little sister ever. And five younger brothers. They all go to Hogwarts."

Fleur sat up quickly. "Hogwarts?" she repeated. "How old is the youngest boy?"

"Going into his fifth year now, I think."

Surely that boy was Harry Potter's best friend; Fleur remembered that they never left each other's side. Then, with a start, she finally remembered where she had seen Bill before. He had come to Hogwarts to watch the Third Task in the Triwizard Tournament. _(A/N: see HP and the Goblet of Fire if you don't remember this.)_

"Hey, are you all right?" Mandy asked, puzzled by the sudden vacant look on Fleur's face.

"Yes, of course," Fleur said hastily. "How old is Bill?"

"Twenty-five, I think. Four years older than us... that is, if you're also twenty-one?"

"Nineteen."

"_Nineteen! _Only?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" Fleur asked.

"No... it's just you look older than that... never mind," Mandy said hastily. Then, under her breath, she muttered, "_Only nineteen!_" as if she still couldn't believe it.

Fleur suddenly had a question that for some reason she was dying to know the answer to. But she couldn't ask, could she? Then before she knew it, she blurted, "Does Bill have a girlfriend?"

Mandy looked up in surprise. "No, not anymore. He used to."

"Oh?"

"But he caught her cheating on him, so..."

"Cheating on him?" Fleur repeated, unfamiliar with that term.

Mandy flushed. "Well... you know. Caught her sleeping with someone else. He hasn't been seeing anyone for over a year now."

Fleur frowned.

"I know," Mandy continued. "Bill's such a great guy. I have no idea why anyone in her right mind would cheat on him." She sighed. "And it really hurt him too; he was really fond of Diane."

"Oh."

"Why do you ask?" Mandy asked curiously.

"No reason," Fleur said hastily, and quickly changed the subject. Mandy then inquired about life in France, and to Fleur's great relief, the conversation soon turned completely away from Bill Weasley.

* * *

Bill opened the door to his flat, which still seemed strangely empty and vacant ever since his breakup with Diane a year ago. He missed how she used to greet him with a smile and a kiss, and how she would sit across from him at the kitchen table while he ate his dinner, listening to his day's events with keen interest showing in her eyes. 

But she had been deceiving him all along. Maybe while she was under the pretense of loving him, she had secretly laughed at him behind his back. Maybe she had been using him the whole time, just so she could have the luxury of sharing his flat and having a place to stay. Maybe she had never loved him, as he had loved her.

Suddenly the thought of him catching her red-handed came back to him, and his mind was flooded with the painful memory. He and his co-workers had been let out early that day, and he had intended to take advantage of that by spending the extra time with Diane, who wasn't anywhere to be seen...

_"Diane?" he called, looking for his girlfriend. He reached the bedroom, and opened the door._

_"Bloody hell!" a man's voice yelled from the bed, and two pairs of guilty eyes looked at the figure standing at the door._

_Bill stood frozen in the doorway, livid with anger. The pretty dark-haired woman stared at him, her eyes opened wide._

_"Oh, God," she whispered. "Bill..."_

_"I'm giving you three days to move out," he said between clenched teeth. "And no more."_

_He slammed the door and left._

* * *

After she and Mandy had paid the bill and said goodbye, Fleur went home to her flat. Exhausted by the first day of real work in her life, she kicked off her shoes and sank down onto her bed. 

Even though she was tired, she would have enjoyed some company. The flat was quiet. Too quiet. Even Mandy's endless chatter would have been welcome.

Fleur leaned back against her pillows, her thoughts going back to the day's events. So Bill Weasley used to have a girlfriend. And he had cared for her so much that after they broke up, he hadn't dated anyone else ever since. But that wasn't Fleur's concern. Or was it? And why did the fact disturb her so much?

The only thing she was sure of was that that she felt intensely uncomfortable around him. And she didn't like it.


	4. Caught in the Act

I'm very sorry but I'm in an incredibly lazy, lethargic mood today and I just can't get myself to respond individually to people as usual. However, I'm still listing the names of all you ruddy brilliant people, who are _semper fidelis. _Thanks; I couldn't ask for nicer reviews!

**Doodleflip, Cloud Shadow, birdsofmorrigan, Gemm'n2590, passionflower24, BrownEyedAthena, xOxHowRudexOx, Gallon of Firewhiskey, Girl with the Evil Computer, Jill-Weasley, illyria-light, koolgirl-mc, Ghost Flame, She-Who-Snogs-Weasley-Boys, thequeeneb, Star of the North, Silver Coins, Wenham-Wonderer, jen, Arianna of Bellezza, MaryMary, Angel Street, Silverone3, **and **Padfoot's Sidekick**.

Some people questioned Fleur and Mandy's friendship, and whether I'll continue to make Fleur bitchy. Well, as you know, changing a character's personality doesn't happen in one day; remember, the process is gradual! As for hers and Mandy's friendship... well, you'll see.

I personally don't like this chapter, and I'm pretty sure it won't be your favorite either. However, I felt it was necessary, and I do hope you see why- if not now, then at least later. I'm eager to know what you guys think!

**Chapter 4**

Fleur heard a cough coming from the direction of her door. She looked up and saw a tall, very handsome man with dark hair leaning against her doorway. He smiled when she looked up.

"Hey, are you busy?"

"Am I ever not these days?" she replied, impatiently tucking back a strand of hair that had fallen forward. He chuckled and sauntered into the room.

"I'm guessing you don't know my name," he said.

Fleur, who was perfectly aware that the man sitting in the chair in front of her was Mandy's crush Greg, replied, "You guessed right."

Greg laughed. "You're a feisty one. I like that." He extended his hand toward her. "I'm Greg."

"Fleur," she said, putting her hand into his for only a moment before taking it back.

"Yeah, I know that already," he said, smiling. Fleur stared back at him, impatiently tapping her fingers against the surface of the desk.

"Well is there a reason why you're here?" she asked abruptly.

"Oh, yes... right. We've been assigned on a project—you, me, Bill, and Mandy."

"Oh?"

"The bank invented a new record-keeping system in 1989, but it doesn't have the information put in from before then. Now they want us to put in all the records that were kept on parchment from 1900 to 1989, sorted by decade."

"Why?" Fleur asked, wrinkling her nose at the thought of so much work.

"They want all the stuff in there, I guess." Greg shrugged. "That way when they do statistics, etc, they'll have a lot of data to work from."

"Right. So when do we start?"

Fleur's perfect composure was marred for an instant as her eyes widened in shock. Greg had just dumped a huge, overflowing file of paperwork onto her desk, and was grinning at the look of horror on her face.

"Now."

* * *

"Ugh, he thinks he's so clever," Fleur complained to Mandy later in the staffroom after telling her what had happened. Mandy laughed. 

"He likes doing that- taking people by surprise."

Fleur sniffed. "Hmph. Well anyway, this _project_ is impossible." She said the word 'project' in disgust, the way someone would look while passing by a dumpster. "It's a mess; _nothing_ is in order!"

"It _is_ unorganized, I admit," Mandy sighed. "I think we'd work best if we all worked together instead of each doing a part."

Fleur raised her eyebrows. "Is that because you really think so or because you want to be with Greg?" she asked suspiciously.

Mandy blushed. "Both."

Just then, Bill walked in and his eyes lit up when he saw the two women. "Just the people I was looking for," he said. "I foundan unused room at the back of the building that we can use to work in. Also, I was thinking we should all work together. What do you think?"

"I agree with you one hundred percent!" Mandy said emphatically, and when Bill wasn't looking, Fleur shot Mandy a _look_, and both laughed.

* * *

"All right," Bill said as the four of them gathered in their new workroom. "I think we should sort everything chronologically before doing anything else." 

"Chronologically?" Fleur repeated questioningly.

"It means putting things in order," Bill explained. "From the oldest date to the most recent."

"Oh I see. I'm sorry, but my English is very bad," Fleur said with a laugh. "Perhaps I should get a teacher."

"I'd help you, but I'm a terrible teacher," Mandy laughed. "Bill, why don't you do it? You've helped your siblings with things so you must have experience."

Bill looked up in surprise. "Only if Fleur wants me to."

Fleur, bewildered by the unexpected event, was about to reply, "Yes, I do," when Greg interrupted and said, "I'll do it. Bill probably doesn't have the time, with his extra cursebreaking job and all."

Mandy darted a quick worried glance toward Greg and Fleur, while Bill shrugged. "Fine," he said. "But we really do have more serious matters at hand here, so..." He gestured toward the mess of parchment and paper on the desks.

"Yes, right," Greg said, sounding suddenly cheerful. "Shall our first lesson be tonight?" he asked in a low murmur so only Fleur could hear.

Fleur paused before saying, "I guess so," even though for some odd reason, she would have much preferred having Bill for a teacher.

* * *

Fleur didn't mention the lesson at all to Mandy (who had carefully avoided the subject all day anyway), so when Greg showed up at her flat that evening, she wasn't too concerned... 

...until he started leaning uncomfortably close to her halfway through the lesson.

"Do you know you have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen?" he asked in an attempt to flirt.

"Yes, I've been told that many times, but I do not see what that has anything to do with the lesson," she said impatiently.

"Fleur, Fleur..." Greg said, laughing softly. "You're so cold to everyone. You should warm up to people a little." He leaned closer and put his lips on hers.

"Don't tell me what to do," Fleur replied against his lips, but felt herself responding back. Sometimes there are moments when you just can't help yourself, and this was one of those moments for Fleur.

Suddenly there was a loud crack and Mandy Apparated into sight. "Hey, Fleur, sorry to drop in so suddenly like this, but—" Her jaw dropped as she caught sight of the two. Fleur at least had the decency to look guilty but Greg looked wholly unconcerned.

"Never mind... just forget I was here..." Mandy's voice trailed off. There was a look on her face of intense emotion that Fleur could not describe. Then there was another crack as she Disapparated.

"Well good riddance," Greg said, rolling his eyes. "Now, back to where we left off..." Fleur turned her head so he ended up missing her mouth and kissing her ear instead.

"She fancies you," she said quietly.

"I know _that_ already," he said impatiently. "The girl needs to learn how to be less obvious."

Fleur shot him a look of contempt. "I would say the same about you."

Greg stared at her in disbelief. "_What?_"

"I knew from the beginning that you only offered to tutor me because you wanted something more from me."

"This is ridiculous—"

"This shouldn't have happened."

"Fleur, just _forget_ about her!"

"No! You knew she fancied you and still you were cruel and horrible—"

"What about you?" he shot back. "You also knew she fancies me but you betrayed her anyway. Don't try to deny it!"

There was a deadly silence in the room. Slowly, Fleur stood up and pulled her wand from her robes. "Get out," she said in a low voice, pointing her wand at Greg. "Get out and don't come back."

There was another pause, and then, "Fine!" Greg stormed to the door. "You can forget about the lessons!"

"Good," Fleur replied coolly, still pointing her wand at him with a calm air. "You weren't a good teacher anyway."

After the door slammed shut, Fleur lowered her wand and sank wearily into her chair, suddenly feeling extremely exhausted. She didn't undertand the emotions that she was feeling right now. She had stolen the hearts of men from other girls all the time before without a second thought and without any regrets; she had jeered at the furious heartbroken girls who glared at her but were helpless to do anything about the situation. Indeed, if looks could kill, Fleur would have died long ago with a hundred daggers in her chest and several arrows sticking out of her head.

But for the first time, Fleur was consumed by guilt. Because Mandy was different. She had been the only person to welcome Fleur to England with open arms, to treat her like a fellow Brit, not a foreigner. There was no jealousy or malice in Mandy's heart, and she didn't try to suck up to Fleur like some girls had done at Beauxbatons. She was the only person who had wanted to be a true friend to her, and Fleur had thrown her friendship away...

...which she deeply regretted now. The burning feeling of guilt returned and Fleur buried her face in her hands. The terrible scene kept replaying over and over again in her head, and the haunted, hurt expression on Mandy's face was etched in Fleur's memory and refused to fade away. If only there was some way to steal a Time-Turner and change everything back to how it should have been!

But what was done was done. There was no going back.

* * *

A/N: Don't forget to review! Also, please humor me and go along with this survey. I'm just really curious about what the answers will be. 

You found this story because you…

1) Read _Always Remember_, got to like my writing style, and decided to have a go at _Where the Heart Is_.  
2) Saw it on someone else's favorite stories list or saw my name on their favorite authors list.  
3) Had someone recommend it to you.  
4) Found it using the search engine.  
5) Saw it on the "just in" list.  
6) Other… (and please explain)

Thanks! I'll see you in my next update...


	5. Reflection

A HUGE kiss for all my reviewers. I've never gotten so many reviews in my life!

**Padfoot's Sidekick**- thanks so much for always reviewing! mwah! (blows kiss)  
**passionflower24**- aw...(blushes) You don't know how happy I am hearing you say I'm staying true to canon. I try my best. :) Thank you!  
**Star of the North**- thanks to an ever-faithful reviewer! I'm ecstatic that you R/R all three stories, and you _know_ I'd do the same for you if you wrote more stories. :) Speaking of your writing, please continue with your own story as well!  
**BrownEyedAthena**-I know I told you this before but I love your new penname! Did you make it up based on the goddess Athena or does it have some other origin? Now, back to the subject of stories- thanks for reviewing mine, and I was more than happy to review yours. Please update soon, by the way.  
**Gemm**- thanks! I do hope you think this chapter is an improvement. :)  
**Someone**- aww thanks, although I'm sure there are plenty of good Fleur-Bill stories out there that I haven't read. However, I was very pleased to read your compliments.  
**Silver Coins**- hmm did you do a character search? Because if you just type in "fleur" and "bill" into search, you'll get lotsa stories... oh well. (shrugs) I'm glad you found mine, anyway. ;)  
**Doodleflip**- aw thanks! I'm so glad you like both stories.  
**Arianna of Bellezza**- hope you find this chapter better :)  
**illyria-light**- thanks for reviewing! And about your stories- I think I reviewed a couple but I'll try to go back and read more.  
**cursedangel69**- so glad you found my story!  
**Ghost Flame**- well here's a little more interaction in this chappie, but there will be more, i promise.  
**Sweet As Butterbeer**- aw thank you thank you thank you!  
**birdsofmorrigan**- ha. HA. ha... sergio... ha. you're funny. remind me to laugh the next time I see you. However, I do rather like that matt damon and cho thing you mentioned...  
**Gallon of Firewhiskey**- yay! well I'm glad a certain person took the time to review, and the certain person who's writing this now would really like it if a certain person updated a certain story called "Gred & Forge's Manual for Life." (hint hint) ;)  
**Lady Taliesin**- thanks! Please tell me if you'd prefer Fleur to have her original accent. I'm contemplating whether or not I should make her have that accent or not.  
**Lady of the Twilight Woods**- ooh pretty penname! lol. Anyway, thanks so much for reviewing.  
**calvinandjoanie**- thank you! I'm glad you "bumped into" this. ;)  
**InvisibleA**- thanks for reviewing!  
**thequeeneb**- oh goody. Was it fate that mine appeared at the top? ;)  
**Jill-Weasley**- oh I see... well thanks for reviewing!  
**sunflowerchild**- thank you!  
**Angel Street**- thanks so much! I do hope you like it.  
**PhoenixPlume- **thank you!  
**littlekathgirl**- thanks! Hope you like.  
**Lady of Masbolle- **uh-oh. What kind of consequences? lol.  
**Beastgurl7492- **thanks! I'll try to write more often now.  
**Girl with the Evil Computer**- aw thank you so so so much! I always look forward to reading your reviews.  
**LiteraryRomance**- thank you! Sorry it took so long to post this chappie!  
**She-Who-Snogs-Weasley-Boys**- well i must admit i kinda like Charlie/Tonks too. :)

YAY! **APs are OVER!** (does a happy dance) Oh joy! I'll be able to update more often now. If you were annoyed by the enormous lapse between updates, blame the CollegeBoard; I do it all the time.

Just to point something out in case you were confused or didn't see it: I _did_ change the title of the story. Also, a big thank-you to all for cooperating marvelously with my survey; it was a success! Now I know how y'all found this. As for my other story, _Confessions_, I'm putting it on hiatus for a while. I'm afraid I can't blame it on writer's block this time, cuz I'm kinda getting tired of it. Which is good news for you Fleur-Bill shippers anyway, since I'll be working more on this!

If some of you were disapointed by the lack of Fleur-Bill interaction, there's a bit in this chapter, but I **promise** more will come eventually. Also, a question for all of you: Would you prefer it if I made Fleur have the accent? I can always go back to the earlier chapters & fix them so that she does. Please tell me yes or no in your next review; I'm going with the side that gets more votes.

**Chapter 5**

Bill couldn't understand it. The team had worked just fine for a day and suddenly Fleur, Mandy, and Greg were refusing to speak to each other. A typical "conversation" would be like this:

xxx

Mandy: Bill, why don't you be a dear and ask Fleur to hand over that folder to me?

_(Fleur hands the folder silently to Bill, who gives it to Mandy, looking rather confused.)_

Fleur: Bill, please tell Greg that he keeps putting the papers in the wrong file.

Greg (sarcastically): Oh. Well, Bill, tell Fleur that I'm so _sorry._

xxx

After listening to three hours worth of dialogues such as this, Bill threw down the file he was working on and stood up.

"Sorry if it _offends_ you," he snapped, "but this just has to stop. What am I, some kind of mediator? Can't you three just kiss and make up and be one happy family again?" His voice was icily sarcastic.

"It doesn't work that way, Bill," Mandy said, crossing her arms.

"I'm not in the mood to kiss and make up, actually," Greg growled, putting a subtle emphasis on the word "kiss." Fleur threw a sharp glance at him and snapped, "Neither am I."

Bill rolled his eyes. "Grow up! We're not exactly three-year-olds in nappies anymore!"

"Three-year-olds don't wear nappies," Mandy grumbled.

"Merlin!" Bill shouted in frustration. He kicked the desk he was working at and left the room in a fury.

"Geez, he doesn't have to get so worked up," Greg muttered under his breath as he left also.

Fleur and Mandy were left sitting in awkward silence. Fleur darted a glance toward Mandy, who merely tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and looked down at the parchment she held in her hand.

After a pause, Fleur finally spoke, holding back her pride in an attempt to restore their friendship. "Look, Mandy, what happened that night—"

"I don't want to talk about it," Mandy snapped, her eyes blazing. "I saw what happened; there's no use trying to explain."

"He offered to teach me English," Fleur argued. "He practically invited himself inside."

"Yeah, why don't you blame the whole thing on him while you're at it."

Fleur was tempted to say something that would humiliate Mandy, something that would make her wither up inside, but she controlled the urge. "I'm sorry," she said simply.

"You led him on. You betrayed me," Mandy spat, ignoring Fleur's apology.

"I didn't—"

"Shut up, Fleur!" Mandy shrieked, on the verge of hysteria. "I'm not finished yet! You know what they call you, Fleur? A slut, bitch, whore, skank… you name it. Do you _understand, _Fleur? Are those common English words _understandable_ to you?"

Fleur stared at her. Mandy had never mocked her before.

"'Flower of the Court,' are you?" Mandy screamed, her voice getting higher and higher. "Some _flower _you are; you're more like a _weed!_ Go home, Fleur; nobody wants you. Understand that? You need a translator to change that to French for you?"

"Mandy…"

"Get the hell away from me." Mandy shot her a disdainful, contemptuous look and stormed out of the room.

Fleur couldn't believe what she'd heard. She wasn't surprised just by Mandy's words, but by what had been behind them. Did everyone really think of her that way? All those nasty words Mandy had just said? Suddenly, she was filled with inexpressible anger, not just at Mandy, but at everyone. The whole world.

There was a soft knock on the door. Bill walked in quietly and sat beside Fleur, who was staring blankly down at the parchment on her desk, her head spinning with hateful thoughts.

"Hey," he said quietly.

"I thought you were mad," Fleur said flatly.

"No, just frustrated. What happened just now, anyway? I saw Mandy—"

"Don't talk about her in front of me," Fleur snapped. "I never want to speak to her again."

"You were friends just yesterday," Bill said calmly. "What happened in the course of one day to change that?"

"Nothing. Everything," Fleur replied vaguely.

"Does it have something to do with Greg?"

Fleur paused. "Yes," she said at last. "We kissed when he came to my flat yesterday and Mandy saw. I knew she fancied him but I did it anyway. She thinks I betrayed her. I did. She was my only friend but I betrayed her anyway. What do you think of me now?" The words came out in a rush and ended with the question, which she said defiantly, challengingly.

"I think it was wrong of you," Bill said slowly. "You shouldn't have done it."

"Go ahead, say it," Fleur said harshly. "Tell me that I am a horrible person. I am not afraid to hear it."

"Even so, I won't say it." Fleur looked up at him, wide-eyed. "It was a selfish of you," he continued. "You didn't think of Mandy or the consequences. In fact, you're the most selfish and stuck-up person I've ever met. But that does not make you a horrible person."

Fleur could only stare. No one- _no one-_ had ever confronted her in such an outright manner before. No one spoke to her, Fleur Delacour, that way.

"But you've got some qualities that are good to have. You're strong. Determined. Confident. That's what draws everyone in to you." He smiled wryly. "But then again, it could be that veela blood in you, too."

"Don't mention my veela blood," Fleur snapped, forgetting her initial shock. "I want to be known for who _I _am, not for what runs in my veins. I am more than just that."

There was a tense silence. Bill looked at her closely, as if studying her, and Fleur struggled not to squirm under his steadfast gaze.

"You know, I've learned more about you in the past five minutes than I have all these weeks you've been here," he said softly. "Perhaps there is more to you than I've thought."

With that he stood and left the room, closing the door softly behind him, leaving Fleur in a state of utter confusion and bewilderment.

* * *

"I should've just expected that kind of behavior. I don't know why the bloody hell I trusted her." 

Bill looked down at his angry companion, whom he'd caught up with as she was leaving the bank for her lunch break. "Mandy, be honest," he said patiently. "Did you think you had a chance with Greg anyway?"

Mandy sighed. "No," she said resignedly. "You want to know the truth, Bill? I'm not mad because she hooked up with him. I was already starting to give up hope; I was just waiting for someone to show up, have a fling with him, and knock some sense into me, because then I would be forced to see the truth, you know? But I didn't want it to be _her_."

"Because you thought she was a friend," Bill said quietly.

"Exactly."

"Maybe you should give her another chance."

"Maybe I should. Maybe I shouldn't."

They didn't mention Fleur while they had lunch, nor did they mention her as they were walking back up the white stone steps of Gringotts. Suddenly there was a little whimper behind them and Bill felt a small tug on his sleeve.

"Excusez-moi, monsieur."

Bill looked down into a pair of a child's huge grey-blue eyes, which were pooling with tears. The girl was carrying a small duffel bag and looked exhausted.

"Je cherche ma soeur, Fleur," she said tearfully.

"Oh great," Mandy muttered under her breath as Bill tried to comfort the little girl, who had no idea what he was saying. "Just what we need—a mini-Fleur."

xxx

Translations:

_Excusez-moi, monsieur _- Excuse me, sir  
_Je cherche ma soeur, Fleur_ - I'm looking for my sister, Fleur

* * *

Fleur sat in one of the empty corridors at the back of the bank, knees drawn up to her chest, lost in self-contemplation. Who was she? What did she want in life? Had she ever thought of that before? Most importantly, what did she think of herself? 

Bill's words had struck to the very core of her. She was selfish and inconsiderate of others. Suddenly she was filled with rage. No one had ever told her that before. Why hadn't they? They should have. Then she wouldn't be the way she was now.

But the anger slowly subsided. It was no one's fault but hers. Others had been terrified to confront her, to point out her faults, because she had made them scared of her. Only Bill had been frank, yet he had also praised her strenghths.

Maybe there was more to her than _she _had thought. Her words about her veela heritage had blurted out of her mouth spontaneously; she had never considered being more than what everyone thought she was. Perhaps it was Bill who had brought her to that realization.

Lost in her self-analysis, Fleur didn't hear the voices until they were almost around the corner. Startled, she shrank back against the wall and hid behind one of the bank's prized statues.

"Did you do it?" a deep, gutteral voice asked in a hushed tone.

"Yesterday," a voice replied. "I'm going to fix up another file tomorrow." Fleur, whose view was obscured by the statue, couldn't see who the strangers were; nor could she identify the voices, as they were spoken very quietly.

"Why can't you do it all at once?" the first voice complained. "Every time you do it, you risk the chance of getting caught. I've done my part of the share; I expect you to do yours."

"I'll do it!" the second voice snapped. "We need to be patient. Timing is of the essence. A slip and we can be jailed for twenty, you know that?"

"You're lucky I've been covering for you, or we'd've been caught long ago."

"I know, I know," the second voice said impatiently. "Listen, I don't know if I can do it tomorrow, but I'll try. I'm going for the '92 file, then we'll be almost done. After that, I'm going to tamper with the record-keeping system so we can have access all the time."

"Good," the first voice grunted in satisfaction."Don't mess it up."

"I'm not an idiot," the second voice hissed. There was the sound of sweeping robes, and the voices vanished as abruptly as they had come.

Fleur held her breath, counting silently to ten in case the strangers came back. When they didn't, she stepped cautiously out from behind the statue and surveyed the hall. After a moment's thought, she raced back to the workroom.

There was a conspiracy going on and only she knew about it. She was responsible for preventing it from happening.

Fleur skidded to a stop in front of the room. No one was there; the other three had gone out to lunch. She gazed silently at the filing cabinets and stacks of parchment in the room. The conspirators had mentioned a '92 file. Suddenly, in a hurried frenzy, she tore through the papers, searching. Finally, she triumphantly held up the file boldly marked **1992**.

_Now what?_ Fleur wondered, running a hand over the cover of the file. She wasn't even sure if the voices had been referring to this particular file; there must be hundreds of files in the bank from 1992. Maybe they hadn't even been talking about the year 1992, but the actual number 92.

Still, she didn't want to take the risk. She and the others had worked so hard categorizing the files; she didn't want anyone tampering with them. An idea quickly forming in her mind, Fleur reached for a stack of blank parchment. Muttering a spell under her breath, she ran the point of her wand down each page of the '92 file. She then transferred the information onto the blank parchments. Now, if anyone messed with the original file, she would have something to compare it to.

Fleur quickly replaced the original file and stuffed the copied one into her bag. All the while, she contemplated whether or not she should tell the others what she'd heard. Finally, she decided not to, just in case. Maybe she was wrong about the whole thing and she would only look like a fool.

There was a sound at the door and Fleur looked up, startled. Bill was in the doorway, Mandy just behind him, and clutching Bill's hand was...

"Gabrielle!"

* * *

Fleur sat at her desk, cradling the now sleeping Gabrielle in her lap. She had brought her little sister back to her office, where they would have some privacy from curious eyes. 

So their mother had done it last. She had left, tired of the husband and life she had become so weary of. That was her solution. Just pack up and leave, without warning.

Before falling asleep, Gabrielle had explained to Fleur how exactly she'd ended up at Gringotts. Heartbroken by Fleur's departure, she had resolved to find her older sister. Gabrielle had taken all the money out of her piggybank and, escaping the ever-watchful eye of her nurse, had bribed one of the stable boys into getting her to the British Isles. Once she reached London, she had taken a cab to Diagon Alley, where she had wandered, lost, until someone had pointed her in the direction of Gringotts Bank. Needless to say, the whole experience had been rather traumatizing.

Fleur hugged her little sister's sleeping form close to her. How precious she was, how irreplaceable. She shuddered, thinking of all that could have happened to Gabrielle, had not the Fates been watching over her.

From now on, Fleur resolved not only to be a sister, but a mother to Gabrielle. Even if it conflicted with her job, she would find a way to keep Gabrielle in England with her.

_I'll owl Papa tomorrow_, she resolved. _While I go to work, I'll find someone to watch Gabrielle. But no matter what, she's staying with me._

Fleur stood slowly, careful not to wake her sister. Pushing the desk chair to the side, she tapped it with her wand, muttered a spell, and transfigured it into a plushy armchair, as there was no room in the little office for a sofa. Very carefully, she placed Gabrielle in the chair and covered her with her coat.

"I love you," she whispered, kneeling beside the armchair and kissing the top of Gabrielle's silvery-blond head. She touched the little girl's tear-stained cheek. "How brave you were for coming to find me."

There was the soft swish of robes in the doorway. Fleur turned quickly at the sound and found herself locking gazes with Bill Weasley. He looked first at Gabrielle, then back to Fleur, and his eyes held an indescribable expression. It wasn't until Fleur had to take a gasp of air that she realized she'd been holding her breath.

"So you do have another side to you, after all," he said softly. "A side no one has ever seen... except for her." He gestured toward Gabrielle.

Fleur didn't- no, couldn't- speak. Bill gave her a half-smile. "Come," he said gently. "We're all waiting for you."

She gave one last parting glance toward Gabrielle and stepped into the hallway, where Bill was waiting for her.


	6. Uncertainty

OMG! Did I ever mention how **awesome** French people are? French guys, especially. A group of French kids came to visit our school two weeks ago and my assigned buddy was this adorable, blonde-haired, blue-eyed guy that I absolutely fell in love with. And I had him for the whole day! yum… of course, there was that whole pot incident at lunch, but that's another story. ;)

Replies are at the bottom; I figured it's more practical to do that since they take up so much room at the top. Also, the anti-accent people won the vote. And if there are any grammatical/spelling/spacing mistakes, it's cuz I was in a rush, so don't mind me.

Enjoy!

**Chapter 6**

It wasn't easy settling in. Fleur had already sent an owl to her father, who couldn't care less where his daughters were, and had hired a nanny to watch Gabrielle during the day. The arrangement was all right, if only Gabrielle didn't cause such a fuss about being separated from Fleur all day.

Tired from that morning's squabble with Gabrielle- who had recently started clinging on to Fleur's leg in an effort to make her stay- Fleur climbed wearily up the white marble steps of the bank.

Murmuring a soft "good morning" to Bill as she sat her desk, Fleur flipped absently through the parchments sitting before her. There was still so much work to do…

"Has anyone seen the '92 folder lately?" Mandy asked anxiously, searching through the piles of parchment. "I can't find it anywhere."

Fleur sat up straight, her sense immediately alert. The '92 file was gone? She got up quickly from her seat and helped Mandy in her search.

"Here it is," she announced, finding the folder where she'd left it before.

Mandy looked up in surprise. "Oh. Thanks," she said, taking the file. Her voice was less harsh than it had been in a long time.

Suddenly there was an unbearably loud noise that blared from all over the building. "Attempted robbery in Vault 543! Attempted robbery in Vault 543!" a voice yelled over the intercom as the alarm continued to go off. There was the sound of stomping feet as the goblins rushed off to the scene of the crime.

"C'mon, let's go!" Greg shouted over the alarm as he ran off to see what was going on. Mandy was at his heels, and Bill looked ready to sprint out the door when he paused.

"Coming, Fleur?" he asked, waiting for her.

"Yes, just a second," she called. She waited until Bill's footsteps had died away before quickly snatching the '92 file from Mandy's desk. She pulled out her copies from her bag and flipped the file open…

Nothing. No changes. At all.

Fleur wrinkled her brow in puzzlement. Maybe she had been wrong…

"Fleur?" She spun toward the door, where Greg stood watching her. "Aren't you coming?"

"Yes, yes," she said quickly, her heart pounding. She made a show of grabbing her handbag in haste.

"Why were you here when all of us left?" Greg asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

Fleur paused. "I…"

"What's that?" He reached for her copies.

"Nothing," she said a little too quickly, hiding it behind her back.

"Clearly it isn't just 'nothing.'"

Fleur sighed heavily. "It is a letter from my boyfriend in France. I thought I could read it alone while all of you were gone."

"You have a boyfriend?" he asked in surprise.

"Yes."

He paused, then said, "Must've been a pretty personal letter then."

"Yes."

Silence. Uncomfortable silence.

"Look," Greg said at last. "I don't like this rift between us. It makes working so difficult, and I think Bill's getting fed up." He extended his hand out to Fleur. "Friends?"

"Friends." She put her hand in his without the slightest hesitation. She was too busy being relieved that he had bought her lie.

* * *

"You gave me your critique of me. Now it's my turn." 

Bill looked down at the beautiful woman walking beside him. She spoke without hesitation, looking straight forward.

"All right." He was amused.

"You're too critical. Stubborn. Difficult. You're quick to point out the faults in a person. Once you have a first impression of someone, it's difficult to change it."

"Is that so?" he challenged. "My first impression of you was very much different than how I view you now."

"I'm an exception," Fleur replied. Oh great, her snootiness was coming back. But wait, was that a smile…?

"Could it be that you're teasing me, Miss Delacour?"

She gave an exaggerated gasp. "I never tease, Mr. Weasley!"

"I believe you just did."

"Did not."

"Did so."

"See, there you are go being difficult again."

"Well then I'm sorry." He was struggling not to smile.

"Apology accepted."

"Good."

"Good."

They met each other's eyes, and began laughing at the same time.

Bill was pleasantly surprised by how pretty her laughter was, like the tinkling of bells stirred by a gentle summer breeze. It wasn't at all like her icy sarcastic laugh, the one everyone had gotten to know so well.

"I was wondering…" he began once their laughter had died down. "About those English lessons…"

Fleur frowned. "Please, let's not bring that subject up."

"No," he said hastily. "What I mean is- you'll need a new teacher, right?"

"I suppose," she said hesitantly. Then, as realization dawned, "You want to teach me?"

"Only if you want me to."

Fleur walked in silence, biting her lip. "They'll talk," she said at last. "They'll think I'm trying to seduce _you_ this time."

"Since when have you cared what others thought of you?" he asked in interest.

"Since I met you." Before Bill could ask what she meant by this, she said, "I appreciate your offer, Bill, but…"

"Why don't we try it one time and see how it turns out?" He wasn't sure why he was being so persistent, but the words were just tumbling out of his mouth.

She was biting her bottom lip again. "All right," she said at last. "When?"

"Whenever you'd like."

"Tonight? You can meet my sister properly this time."

He grinned. "I'll be there."

* * *

Fleur had never laughed so much in her life. A huge grin spread across her face once more as Bill's antics went on. Apparently Gabrielle was enjoying herself too, because she clapped with delight and began looking at Bill with newfound awe and adoration. 

The last juggled plate fell into Bill's outstretched hand. He had juggled three of them while simultaneously balancing a tomato on his nose.

"Tada!" he said with a grand flourish. Gabrielle jumped up from her seat, shrieking with laughter, and gave Bill a standing ovation.

"Bien, bien!" she cried happily. "Vous etes merveilleux!"

Fleur could only smile at his reaction. "Er… right back atcha," he grinned.

Half an hour later, after a delighted Gabrielle had been fascinated by all the shadow puppets Bill could make with his hands, Fleur left to tuck Gabrielle into bed. When she returned, she sat across from Bill at the kitchen table.

"She likes you," she said softly. "She wants to know how you learned all your tricks."

"Well, years of having six little brats running the house after you can teach you a few things here and there," he grinned.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "You make her smile, and she's been needing that."

"What about you?"

Fleur looked up, eyes wide. "I've been needing a smile lately, as well," she said almost shyly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Well, then I'm glad to be of service." His smile was warm.

Fleur smiled, and let her eyes glance over at the clock. "Mon Dieu!" she exclaimed. "It is already ten o'clock and we haven't begun our lesson at all." She gave him an apologetic smile. "I hadn't counted on Gabrielle interfering."

"No problem. If you'd rather, we can start another time. In the park during lunch hour, perhaps?"

"That would be wonderful," she smiled. Bill stood and stretched.

"Well you haven't tried to seduce me yet," he grinned. "I guess that proves something about you."

"And what is that?" .

"You don't think I'm half as good-looking as Greg, though you are very mistaken."

Fleur paused, and Bill half-wondered if she was angry for bringing up Greg's name. But instead, she smiled. "You are very full of yourself," she said calmly.

"Is it my earring that you don't like?" he persisted, enjoying himself. "Or perhaps my hair, which Mum has been wanting to chop off for months now? Could it be the dragonhide boots that are turning you off?"

"Well considering I was never turned on in the first place…" she said wickedly.

"You're a sly little vixen," Bill said, his voice full of admiration.

"Am I?"

The slightly taunting lilt in her voice was irresistible. Without even meaning to, Bill leaned closer to her and kissed her. Fleur pulled away abruptly. She looked gravely shaken.

"We can't do this," she whispered. "I… I don't trust myself."

"What do you mean?" he asked, immediately concerned

"I…I think it's best you leave." Her voice trembled.

"All right," he said quietly. "I'm sorry, Fleur." He found his own way out, leaving Fleur to sink into her chair, staring blankly ahead of her.

* * *

Bill could've kicked himself. His relationship with Fleur was going on perfectly, then he just had to go and kiss her like that. Way to go, Weasley. 

He arrived early at work. Only Greg had arrived so far.

"Hey, Weasley. You look down in the dumps."

"Yeah." Bill slumped down into his chair.

"Wanna talk about it?" Greg plopped down on the chair next to Bill, munching a donut.

"Not really."

"Have anything to do with the Flower of the Court?" Greg smirked.

"What?"

"I've seen it coming," he said in an all-knowing way that Bill didn't like. "You two have been spending an awful lot of time together lately."

"And what of it?" Bill snapped.

Greg put his hands out in a gesture of surrender. "Don't get all defensive, mate, I'm doing you a favor. If I were you, I'd end the whole thing now rather than suffer later when her boyfriend shows up."

Bill froze. "She never mentioned…"

"Didn't know until recently, myself." Greg yawned and stretched. "Well I'm going to grab a cup of coffee. Want some?"

"No thanks," Bill said quietly.

Greg headed for the door when he stopped and turned around. "Just forget about her, Weasley. Advice from me to you, as friends. She's probably broken the hearts of hundreds of unsuspecting blokes. You don't want to get caught in her trap. Don't forget, she's part veela." Then he left.

Bill knew Greg was only trying to be helpful, but his last words only made things worse. Could it be that he was attracted to Fleur only because of her veela charms?

_No!_ a voice in his head exclaimed. _She has a great personality; she's a good person behind all that snootiness. It has nothing to do with whether she's a veela or not._

But then why didn't she tell me about her little lover boy in France? Bill argued back. Suddenly, he realized… her words… what had they been? "We can't do this. I don't trust myself." Of course they couldn't have a relationship; she already belonged to another! And she couldn't trust herself to be anything more than the shameless flirt she really was.

"Good morning, Bill," a soft voice came from behind him. Oh great, it was Miss I-love-breaking-the-heart-of-anything-in-trousers Delacour.

"'Morning," he said coldly, before deciding to take Greg's course of action and grab a cup of coffee.

Fleur remained frozen where she stood. What had _that _been all about?

* * *

That had _not_ been a fun day at work. Exhausting, almost, even though physical labor of any kind wasn't required. 

The tables had turned, in an odd way. Although Mandy had now given in to saying, "good morning," or "Could I have that piece of parchment over there, Fleur?", she didn't say much more than that. Bill didn't say anything at all. Ironic as it was, only Greg spoke of Fleur normally, which, to say the least, aroused Mandy and Bill's suspicions.

Fleur sighed, running a hand tiredly through her silvery blonde hair. Thanks to all the melodrama going on in the little workroom, she didn't think she could focus properly to Apparate home. She'd probably end up splitting her body and leaving half of it at the bank.

_Which some people would be happy to see_, she thought bitterly as she set off for her flat. Maybe the walk home would take some of the stress off her back.

A moment later, the acrid smell of smoke reached her nostrils. _Odd_… Her pace quickened. _It can't be_, she reassured herself. _It can't…_

She turned the corner, and broke into a cold sweat as her eyes became fixated on the horrible sight.

Huge, black clouds of smoke were billowing out from the window on one of the topmost floors of her building, and enormous burning flames were licking the night sky like a ravenous beast trying to devour the sky whole.

* * *

A/N: I think there'll be ten chapters total, give or take a chapter. (sob) It's more than halfway over! 

Thanks to all my reviewers! Also, thanks to the people who recently reviewed _Always Remember_. I couldn't exactly thank you properly because it's finished!

**BrownEyedAthena- **yay! I'm so happy for us! I love how I have so much time left over now that the APs are over… and now I see where your penname is coming from. Very creative! I've always loved Greek mythology, and Athena's one of my favorite goddesses. :)**  
birdsofmorrigan- **"wow. Just wow." You leave the strangest reviews. I laughed when I read it again because Yann DID turn out to be a hunk! Now if only he was a bit taller and didn't look younger than me…  
**passionflower24**- thanks so much for catching my mistake; I don't think you were a pest at all! Rather, I think it's great that I have a Brit reading my stuff and it would be wonderful if you could point out any other Americanisms if you see any. Thanks! PS- British accents are so hott. ;)  
**surfergurl16**- yeah I feel bad for 'em too but good times are coming up anyway so it's all good!  
**Padfoot's Sidekick**- well I can't tell or I'd be giving it away, wouldn't I? (wink)  
**Doodleflip**- thanks! More fluff coming up eventually… lol  
**Lady of Masbolle**- hmm… how much should I fear a very, very angry LoM? Perhaps I should tie pillows around myself and start wearing a football helmet from now on. :P lol!  
**Angel Street**- lol, yes it has a plot. Not a very good one- I was hoping it would come out better- but eh, it's satisfactory. Also, I'm so glad you like my versions of the characters.  
**Arianna of Bellezza**- aw thanks! Also, I agree with you that what Fleur did wasn't good but she'll make up for it later.  
**SilverCoins**- can't tell you! (zips mouth closed and throws away the key). Actually the whole plot is absurd and is very predictable, but I'm trying my best. :)  
**illyria-light**- thanks! I've also always liked Gabrielle & decided it would be interested to throw her in the story. (grabs Gabrielle by the hair and throws her into the computer, where she lands in Microsoft Word) There. I actually did it….. wow I'm weird. ;)  
**fleur137**- what a coincidink, eh? I must say it would feel weird to see my name in a story over and over and over… and over… again. lol. Well I'm glad to hear you're interested in the pairing now. It's a great one!  
**Joanie**- thanks! I'm glad mine was your first Fleur story, but I do hope it's not the last, cuz she's such a cool character. Et j'aime le francais, aussi!  
**Star of the North**- thanks! I try my best. Can't wait til _your_ next update, but I'll understand if you don't have one up soon, considering it sounds like you have a huge workload on your shoulders! Good luck with everything.  
**Beastgurl7492**- thank you, thank you! (bows) Can I have some roses, too? ;)  
**sunflowerchild**- same with me… (sigh). But those SATIIs are finally over! now only finals left.  
**InvisibleA**- of course she'll stay with Fleur. I wouldn't have it any other way. :) That is… unless she got burned to a crisp in the fire…. omg I'm horrible. WHY do I think things like that?  
**Lady Taliesin**- well I must admit I was VERY tempted to end it w/ a cliffie right there, but I didn't want to be evil. However, I was evil with this chapter, so I'm not all that nice. (smiles innocently)  
**Gallon of Firewhiskey**- thanks! And I really hope that certain person will update that almost-done chapter soon!  
**Lady of the Twilight Woods**- thanks! And I'll try to be better w/ updating more frequently.  
**She-Who-Snogs-Weasley-Boys**- of COURSE there'll be more fluffy goodness! The world REVOLVES around fluffy goodness!  
**Girl with the Evil Computer**- aw thanks! You left a lovely review. :) And about the conspiracy… (in a singsong voice): I can't tell you! Also, I'm actually thinking of giving up on Confessions. It's actually a very bad habit of mine- I write 2 stories at the same time and end up deleting one of them. (It was my L/J fic last time). But maybe I'll keep it on the site anyway. Sorry!  
**iamJulianne**- thank you! I really appreciate your compliment.  
**Wenham-Wonderer**- aw… merci beaucoup! Je suis tres heureuse… (smiles happily)  
**dreamsofdarkness**- lol I'm glad you don't think it's mindless drabble. That wouldn't be good wouldn't it:) Thanks for reviewing.  
**Jill-Weasley**- yup, I put in the accent.  
**Sadistic Shadow**- thanks! your compliment means a lot to me.  
**mello80- **yay you're off restriction? Why were you on restriction anyway?


	7. Unexpected Visitors

I'm **so** sorry about the enormous lapse between updates! I had camp for three weeks then after I got home, I was too lazy to continue with this story until now.

Was anyone else ecstatic about how Fleur reacted at the end of the sixth book? I knew she had some good in her, even though it really is sad what happened to poor Bill. And I confess it did annoy me a little that everyone was always getting pissed at Fleur and calling her "Phlegm." But hey, all's well that ends well, and she finally proved she's loyal, so I'm satisfied. :D

**Chapter 7**

Pushing her way through the crowd, Fleur searched for her sister, hyperventiliating, thinking, _Oh God she's dead she's dead please don't make her be dead..._

"Fleur!" came a cry from behind her.

"Gabrielle," she breathed in relief, closely holding the little girl who had run into her arms. "What happened?" she asked an official.

"Someone's spell backfired. Huge explosion, I heard. Nearly the whole building was destroyed."

"Que allons-nous faire?" Gabrielle asked anxiously. Fleur could only shake her head. What _were _they going to do? All their belongings were lost to those hungry flames...

"Je ne sais pas."

xxx

Translations: que allons-nous faire? - what are we going to do?  
je ne sais pas - I don't know

* * *

Bill's jaw dropped as he opened the door. Standing on his doorstep were Fleur and her little sister, whom she was holding tightly. 

"Fleur?" he asked in shock, forgetting his anger. "What's wrong?"

She started laughing. A high-pitched nervous laugh. Gabrielle stared in horror at her sister. Clearly it wasn't a time to be laughing.

"The flat burned down," Fleur said between fits of laughter. "Flames. Big flames. Huge. It was unbelievable. And now we have nowhere to go and I have no idea what to do!" The last part was followed by the loudest burst of laughter.

"You're a nervous breakdown," he said, pulling her inside and shutting the door. "Here, you can stay here for the night."

* * *

_Fleur, I'm disappointed in you. For the first time in your life you've broken down. You seem hell-bent on bring the Delacour family down with you... _Maman, you're speaking in English... _Completely broke down, I don't know what to say... _I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... the flames were just so big... _It wasn't the fire... _It **was **the fire... _It's something else..._ No, it was the fire!... _You're losing your tact for lying, Fleur... _Maman just listen... _You're falling. No one will be there to catch you... _I'm not falling... _You're falling_... Stop! Stop please!... _No one will be there to catch you..._

Flames. Big, ugly flames. Blood red, turning redder and redder until they're almost black...

Fleur screamed and sat up in bed, breathing heavily. _Can't wake Gabrielle_, was her first thought. But Gabrielle, exhausted from the night's events, was lost in deep slumber.

Fleur stumbled into the small corridor outside the room, searching desperately for a bathroom. When she found it, she tripped over to the sink and splashed ice cold water on her face. She turned off the faucet, taking a breath of air with a gasp. She barely noticed the scent of aftershave that lingered on the towel she had dried her face with, but she did notice her reflection as she looked up.

_Mon Dieu, I look revolting_. There were dark, heavy bags under her eyes, which were bloodshot. Her hair was all over the place; strands of it were wet from having hung into the sink. She was still in the clothing she'd worn to work that day; her blouse was wrinkled terribly and she could smell traces of ash and smoke coming from the soft fabric...

Rather than her looks, it was the blouse that did it. Fleur leaned against the wall behind her, sliding to the floor even as her breathing became more labored until she had to take in great gulps of air. The blouse had only proved to her even further of her predicament- she and Gabrielle had nowhere to go. They had nothing left.

_Pull yourself together, girl!_ she commanded herself but that instructive voice inside her head only made her start crying harder, because it reminded her that she had no control left anymore, and being a Delacour was all about having self-control...

"Fleur? Oh Fleur..."

Blinded by her tears, Fleur hadn't seen Bill come in and crouch beside her.

"Bill, I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I didn't mean to wake you..."

"Never mind that." He gathered her in his arms and held her as if she was a baby, and Fleur collapsed against him. For the first time in her life she was grateful for support, for having someone there to hold her.

"Shh..." He gently wiped away the tears that still burned in her eyes. "It'll be all right, Fleur, you know it will. It can only get better."

Fleur wanted desperately to believe him. "But Gabrielle..." she choked, "if things don't work out we will have to return to France and live with my father again..."

The strangest feeling gripped Bill's heart as she said that, but he tried his best to ignore it. "Listen, we'll talk about this in the morning," he said soothingly. "After a good night's sleep, your head will be clearer and you'll be able to think ahead."

He thought she was ignoring him, for she was deathly silent for a minute or so, but then he heard her mumbling sleepily into his shirt.

"What was that?"

"I said, no one has ever seen me at my worst like you have," she repeated, her eyelids already beginning to droop.

"And I consider myself fortunate for it. I've seen that you can be human."

Fleur frowned a little, but before she could think of a retort, she'd fallen asleep. Bill chuckled softly lifting her off the bathroom floor, and carried her back to bed.

* * *

Fleur awoke to the delicious smell of coffee drifting into the room from the kitchen. After washing up in the bathroom, she frowned at her reflection; her blouse looked even worse than last night but she had nothing else to change into. With a shrug, she went out into the hallway when she heard voices coming from the kitchen- first Gabrielle's, then Bill's. 

"Un oeuf."

"One egg." There was the sound of an egg being cracked open, then the soft thump as the empty shell was thrown into the trash can.

"Deux oeufs."

"Two eggs." Crack. Thump.

Puzzled yet amused, Fleur stepped into the kitchen and couldn't help but smile at what she saw. Gabrielle, looking smaller than ever in one of Bill's shirts, which hung down to her knees, was standing on a footstool in front of a mixing bowl. Bill, who towered over her, was taking the ingredients one by one from her and putting them in the bowl.

"Du lait."

"Milk."

"Bon matin, Fleur!" Gabrielle squealed, just noticing Fleur. She waved frantically at her sister as if she was a mile away. "Nous preparons le petit dejeuner."

"Um. Yeah. We're making breakfast," was Bill's shot at translating Gabrielle's words. He grinned at Fleur. "Slept well?"

"Except for that time in the bathroom, yes." She blushed, remembering. He stared at her for a moment, then turned away.

"Good. Want some coffee?"

"Coff... ee." Gabrielle repeated to herself.

"We're making an omelette," Bill explained."Sit down, we'll do everything." Fleur obeyed without protest. Breakfast was simple, but she felt she hadn't had a finer meal in a long time.

* * *

Fleur was mortified upon the discovery that Bill had given up his bed to her and Gabrielle, and had slept on a sofa in the tiny living room. 

"Oh Bill, I'm so sorry," she apologized, meanwhile feeling hot at the thought of having slept in his bed.

"No problem." They watched as Gabrielle ran ahead to feed the swans in the pond. (Bill had suggested a walk in the park after breakfast.)

"I have decided what to do," Fleur said quickly. "I recently opened an account at Gringotts and I have enough gold in my vault to support Gabrielle and myself." She sighed. "That is, until we find a new flat and replace everything we lost."

"You can stay with me until then," Bill said slowly, as if thinking it out. He turned to her.

"Oh I couldn't. It's too much..."

"On the contrary. I enjoy your company. And Gabrielle's."

"Oh..." Fleur faltered. "All right then. Thank you."

"As long as your boyfriend won't mind...?"

Fleur turned to him sharply. "Boyfriend? What boyfriend?" she demanded hotly.

"The one you told Greg about."

"I did not..." But then she remembered.

A look of triumph appeared on Bill's face. "You see? And you were trying to hide it from me. Why?"

"There was nothing to hide in the first place," she hissed. "I lied to Greg."

"Why?"

_Should I tell him the truth?_ she wondered. Finally, she explained and Bill's eyes widened.

"Why didn't you tell anyone? There could be a serious crime going on that nobody even knows about."

"I could have misheard them," she said firmly. "Anyhow, no one has even touched the '92 file."

"True... so you want everything to stay between us, then."

"Until we have enough evidence, yes."

"All right then." Suddenly, he smiled. "That means you're not with anyone."

"Why? Interested?" she said tartly. There was a sparkle in her eye.

"Perhaps." He winked and Fleur felt herself blushing like a schoolgirl. _Even though as a schoolgirl, I never blushed, _she thought furiously.

"Come, Gabrielle, let's go back," she called, pretending to appear unaffected.

The first thing they could comprehend when they returned to the flat was that there were voices in the kitchen. _Thieves?_ Fleur wondered. Her wand was out in an instant.

"What is your plan of attack, Bill?" she whispered out of the corner of her mouth. When he didn't reply, she looked at him in surprise to see he was laughing uproarously. "Shh! They'll hear you," she hissed.

He grinned, wiping the tears of mirth from his eyes. "No need to worry. I know those voices." Fleur watched in astonishment as Bill walked confidently toward the kitchen. There were two identical shouts of greeting, followed by a banging of forks and spoons. Fleur grabbed Gabrielle's hand and followed Bill cautiously.

"Greetings! Would you like some of this cake? Merlin, this is good cake."

"Hey, I know you. You were in the Triwizard Tournament!"

"Are you Bill's girlfriend?"

"Ooh, Bill has a girlfriend!"

"Sorry," Bill apologized for Fred and George, who returned to raiding the refrigerator. He grinned at Fleur, who was staring blankly at the twins. "They're out of control."

"I see." Her lips were pressed in a thin line.

"So tell me why you're here," Bill commanded to the twins. "You're supposed to be at Hogwarts."

"To visit you, dear old chap," Fred said blithely, waving a forkful of chocolate cake. Bill gave him a _look_.

"All right, we'll fess up," George beamed. "We're taking a look-see around town."

"We're dropping out of school-"

"- to open a joke shop."

"And decided to skive off school for today-"

"- to see if there are any available spots around."

"Except you can't tell Mum-"

"- or she'll throw a fit."

"So we're counting on you to play the part of the silent, reliable older brother, okay?"

"Merlin, this is some good cake!"

* * *

"What are you going to do with them?" Fleur asked Bill. They were sitting in the living room sipping coffee while the other three were in the kitchen. There was an occasional shout of laughter from Gabrielle, who had never seen such wonderful tricks before. As for the twins, they were highly flattered to have such a devoted audience. 

"I don't know. They made me swear not to tell Mum..." Bill shrugged. "I guess there's no point, even if I did. Once those two set their minds to something, they go ahead with it."

"Sounds a bit like you," Fleur teased.

"Runs in the family, I guess." He grinned. "I suppose I'll let them stay for the afternoon. They already missed their morning classes, so they might as well miss their afternoon ones too."

"You're a horrible influence."

"No, I'm just the cool older brother."

"Uh huh," she said sarcastically, but she smiled. "Anyway, I finally realized that everything is... well, not so bad, now that I've cleared my head." She shook her head for emphasis. "I've never felt so helpless before."

"There's always those days," Bill nodded in understanding.

Fleur handed him a piece of parchment. "I made a list."

Bill glanced down at the list, written in perfectly-spaced, even handwriting.

**_Things to Accomplish_**

_1) Buy new clothes and most important things for Gabrielle and myself.  
2) Look for a new flat. Size doesn't matter at the moment.  
3) Find a tutor for Gabrielle, or enroll her in a small private school.  
__4) Pay half the rent for Bill's flat. _

Fleur smiled wryly when he was finished. "That is all I could think of at the moment."

"Everything looks doable," Bill replied, looking at the list once more. "But you really don't have to split the rent with me."

"Please. I want to."

Bill looked at her closely. There was a fierce look in her eyes and he realized how much she cherished being able to fend for herself. "All right," he said quietly, and she breathed a sigh of relief. "But you have to tell me what you plan to do."

She frowned. "I wrote it all down in my list."

"No, that's what you're going to do in your immediate future. What about later? You're not going to work at Gringotts forever."

"True," she mused.

"So what do you want to do with your life?"

Fleur opened her mouth to speak, then slowly closed it. "I... I don't know. I've never thought about it before." She looked perturbed, as she always did when she was caught off guard.

Luckily, the twins provided a distraction. "Okay, Gabrielle," came one of their voices from the kitchen. "When you're mad at someone, you say..." That was followed by a string of England's finest curses.

Bill jumped up and ran into the kitchen to find Fred pantomiming punching George, while Gabrielle giggled. "Now when someone does that, you say 'Bloody hell, you-'"

"Fred! George!" Bill shouted, making the twins jump. "You can't teach her stuff like that!"

Oblivious to the playful shouting match going on in the kitchen, Fleur picked up her list from where Bill had dropped it. She grabbed a nearby quill, then hesitated. Finally, she bent over the parchment and added:

_5) Find something to do with the rest of my life._

* * *

A/N: Aww I'm sorry to disappoint you all with a boring chapter after not updating for six weeks. I promise a better one next time. Hey, in fact, I think I'll give you a sneak preview: 

xxx

"Bill! Bill, what's wrong?" She took his face in her hands. He was deathly pale.

"It's from my mum," he said shakily. He handed her the letter.

_Dear Bill,_

_Your father's been attacked at the Ministry. He is in critical condition and is being held in the ward for serious bites at St. Mungo's. Will explain later..._

_Whatever you do, **do not panic. **__The last thing we need is to have you splinch yourself while Apparating. Please be careful, and do not lose hope._

_Love, Mum_

xxx

There you go. I might change it a bit in the actual chapter, but that was essentially what that scene is going to be like.

Anyway, on to my thank-you's. I owe them to quite a lot of people. Thank you **so** much.

**InvisibleA**- After much debating, I decided to make her tell the truth. Hope you're happy. :D  
**SilverCoins**- I know I always spoil the good moments, but I can't help being an evil author like that! Hopefully this chapter's better, though.  
**James'-gurl7492**- they'll be together soon, don't worry. :) Thanks for reviewing.  
**birds of morrigan**- wow that day seems sooooo long ago. I can't believe all that actually happened! Thanks again for another random review. :D  
**passionflower24- **aww thanks! There's nothing like good ol' fanfiction to take the stress off your shoulders. Hopefully you've had a very stress-free summer...? And _please_ do point out all my silly Americanisms ASAP!  
**Doodleflip**- gasp I would never kill Gabrielle! Or would I...? -evil grin- hehe I'm just kidding; I'm not that evil!  
**Gallon of Firewhiskey**- no need to apologize! Ick i was stuck with the worst case of writer's block ever for this story and I'm still not happy with it... :( Hopefully that'll be over soon.  
**Angel Street**- well it was a rather pointless burning but I put it in at the last second. :) One of those random impulses, I guess.  
**Metamorphmagus-Barbie**- Well I answered part of your second question. :) The twins have always been my favorite Weasleys.  
**FirstDaysofSummer**- ooh I love your new penname! Too bad summer's almost over though... -sob- And I totally sympathize with you on that ban. My parents banned me from FF during AP hell month and I suffered every day!  
**BrownEyedAthena**- ooh I totally agree! Roman mythology's cool too but I've always loved the Greeks more. Thanks for your compliments, also!  
**fleur137**- I think the plot is getting too big, even for me! I'm trying to make it simpler though, so it won't turn into some ginormous twenty-chapter monster like my first story. Oh, and about updating, I'm not a regular updater so I can't really say. Sorry!  
**illyria-light**- oh gosh. I answered the second question... does that mean you'll save me from the vicious hamsters of doom? omg I had the scariest dream the other night that I murdered a hamster... -shudders- Not pleasant at all!  
**Sadistic Shadow**- I wish I could kill Greg. I hate him, even though he's my own character. -sighs- well I suppose we must all deal with smarmy people like him once in our lifetimes.  
**Star of the North**- Wow that's a great question! Actually I remembered it last night and was trying to figure it out myself. I wish I had the answer, cuz now I'm beyond curious. And about your own story- are you suffering from a horrible case of writer's block like I did with this story? You haven't updated in forever! But I forgive you because it's such a great story anyway. :D  
**Lesa L**- Thank you!  
**SeeStar**- No prob, I ramble all the time. :D Thanks so much for reviewing!  
**Asphodele**- Ooh thank you. I changed the mistake today. I think I made up that word! oops... Oh, and do you live in France? Or do you just have French roots?  
**Keirin-Sama**- your wish is my command. :)  
**WILD-JAGUAR**- thanks!  
**Princess Myra**- Oh wow. Thank you so much! Your compliments left me speechless. I'm glad you noticed all the grammar, spelling, etc because I try my best. _Please_ be sure to correct me if I make any mistakes. (Except for the ones I leave incorrect on purpose during dialogues.) Thanks again!  
**Lady of the Twilight Woods**- oops sorry! ButI love my cliffies, even though I can't stand them when reading other stories. Gosh I'm an awful hypocrite. :)  
**Girl With the Evil Computer**- aww I'm sorry about _Confessions_ but I was seriously getting sick of it. I'm glad to see you liked it though. hehe. Ooh I know it was a while ago but how was the movie?  
**Kill-All-Flamers**- thank you so much! I love your penname, by the way.  
**.chlei.**- at least she fixed her mistake. (whew!) I was contemplating having her not tell Bill the truth but I just couldn't do that. Thanks for reviewing!  
**TheAmazingTecnocolorRingWraith- **hmm "Flower of the Heart" is a good guess, actually. The only reason I knew it was "court" is because I read a J.K. Rowling interview. And I do agree that the hospital scene in HBP was to die for. I _love _Fleur now! I was terrified she'd be all shallow and dump him but she didn't! -does a happy dance-  
**SweetAsButterbeer**- lol very interesting review you had there. :D Thanks!  
**ks**- okay! lol. Thanks for reviewing.  
**Olyve Oyl**- thanks so much! I really appreciate it.

-faints from all the typing-


	8. An Unpleasant Surprise

Ack! SOOO sorry, my lovely reviewers, for not reviewing in like... **two months**! That is like... a _crime_. Yes, I blame it on school, yadda yadda yadda... and all those other excuses fanfiction writers use whenever they haven't updated in a million years. Plus there's the fact that I'm "banned" from fanfiction. But as you see, there are always ways of getting around such nonsense.

**Chapter 8**

"I think we've seen all we needed to see," Fred replied vaguely upon his and George's return. "We're going back to good ol' Hogwarts now."

"Though it was lovely spending time with our big brother."

"Our role model, he is."

"Oh hurry and leave, would you?" Bill said, rolling his eyes.

"He's being rude because he's upset to see us leave," Fred explained to Fleur with a wink.

"Little does he know that it won't be long 'til he sees us again!"

It was too late when Bill reached out to grab them and demand an explanation, for they had already Disapparated.

* * *

News that Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour were "seeing" each other and living together caused quite a bit of a stir at Gringotts, but the subjects of the rumors paid no mind. Instead, they had their own problems to work out... 

"Fleur! What are you doing!" Bill's sudden cry nearly made Fleur drop the picture frame she was holding.

"Cleaning," she replied serenely, smoothing her hair back. As she surveyed the much cleaner flat, there was a glint in her eye that Bill immediately recognized as deep satisfaction.

"But why?" he protested. "You never clean."

"Because I have always had someone to do it for me before." She tilted her head to the side. "But not anymore, obviously."

"But..." he spluttered.

She laughed. "And this place is a mess. I couldn't bear it anymore." With a flick of her wand, the feather duster that had been dusting the shelves flew to her hand. "Your room is next."

"What? No!" They raced toward his room, but Bill got there first and blocked the door. "I sleep on the couch so you and Gabrielle can sleep in my room! Now you want to mess everything up?"

"Since when has _cleaning_ meant 'messing everything up'?" Fleur demanded.

"Rule number one when you're living with someone else: NEVER touch a man's belongings!"

"What if said man's belongings were filthy?" she replied, arching an eyebrow.

"They are still only _his _to touch!"

"Funny. I've never heard that rule before." Fleur put her hands on her hips. "Now move aside, Bill Weasley, or I will never offer to clean again!"

"THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WANT!"

"What is the problem, anyway?" she asked, bemused. "Perhaps you are keeping a lover in your closet?"

Bill stared at her, stunned, but Fleur only seized the chance to slip into his room. There was a roar as he registered what had happened, and Fleur laughed into her feather duster, which only made her sneeze, giving Bill the opportunity to sling her over his shoulder and haul her out of his room, ignoring her rather undignified screams and protests. This in turn made Gabrielle come running, thinking her sister was being murdered.

Such squabbles were not uncommon between the two. Fleur's haughtiness caused just as much strife as Bill's tendency to criticize. Yet, subtly, both managed to surprise the other, and not necessarily in bad ways. One night, Bill left the flat for ten minutes and returned with three pints of different flavors of ice cream as well as a bouquet of lilies for Fleur, who surprised the both of them by giving him a passionate kiss, forgetting that only seconds ago she had moaned that the ice cream would be the death of her figure. Another time, after a heated argument consisting of harsh insults thrown back and forth from one to the other, Fleur swallowed her pride and apologized sweetly, presenting him with a beautiful cake that she'd baked herself. It didn't matter that she got her revenge by slamming the aforementioned cake into his surprised face, or that he let out a string of curses that Fred and George would have been proud to hear, because they were soon reconciled and went out with Gabrielle to buy a replacement cake so Fleur wouldn't have to go through the trouble of baking another one.

Living together wasn't without its... _many _troubles, but Bill and Fleur each secretly thought that it wasn't so bad.

* * *

_late December_

They sat together at the kitchen table late one night, hands wrapped around steaming mugs of hot chocolate, sharing stories and laughing over corny jokes.

"Fred and George got _furious _at Percy; he couldn't fit through the doorway the next morning because the twins had inflated his head. They thought it was only right, because he was so _bigheaded_."

Fleur hid her laughter behind her hand so as not to wake Gabrielle. "And then what happened?"

"Mum threw a fit, naturally, and Dad - oi!" He turned sharply toward the window, where an owl was tapping urgently against the glass.

"I will do it," Fleur offered, standing to open the window. The owl flew directly to Bill, holding out its leg so he could take the letter. Immediately after he did, it flew out the window into the dark night sky.

Bill tore the letter open and began to read. Suddenly, to Fleur's alarm, he took in a sharp breath of air.

"Bill! Bill, what's wrong?" She took his face in her hands. He was deathly pale.

"It's from my mum," he said shakily. He handed her the letter.

_Dear Bill,_

_Your father's been attacked at the Ministry. He is in critical condition and is being held in the ward for serious bites at St. Mungo's. Will explain later..._

_Whatever you do, **do not panic. **__The last thing we need is to have you splinch yourself while Apparating. Please be careful, and do not lose hope._

_Love, Mum_

* * *

"I'm looking for my dad, Arthur Weasley," Bill panted. The receptionist looked up and pointed them in the right direction, then Bill and Fleur were off running again. 

"Are you sure Gabrielle will be fine by herself?" Bill asked.

"Do not worry. As I said for the fifth time, I put a charm around the room so no one can enter except for us. She will be fine."

"What if she wakes up?"

"Sleeping charm. She will sleep like a baby."

At this point, they had reached the corridor where Arthur Weasley's room was located. Bill easily caught sight of his mother's bright hair and approached her quickly, while Fleur hung back hesitantly.

"Mum! Is he all right? Will he be okay? What happened?"

"Bill!" Molly shrieked, grabbing her son by the shoulders and sobbing against his shoulder. Bill looked over at his mother and shot a look toward Fleur that clearly said _"Mothers,"_ and he shook his head a little.

"Can we go in to see him?" Bill asked, and his mum sniffled and shook her head, as if to say _not yet._ She raised her head, and looked at Fleur strangely, as if noticing her for the first time, then pulled Bill down the hallway to resume her position hovering near her husband's door. Bill mouthed _I'll be back_ to Fleur, giving her an apologetic look, and then Fleur was alone.

Feeling fidgety, she paced the hallways. Compared to the commotion caused by Mr. Weasley's injuries in the hall she'd just left, the corridor she was now walking through seemed strangely quiet. A small cry reached her ears, and she paused before the open doorway.

A sickly child, looking lost in his thick white blankets, cried out for water. The pitiful sound struck to the core of Fleur's heart. Here was the sound of suffering, and it rather made her feel uncomfortable. Her eyes scanned the length of the hallway frantically, searching for a doctor, a nurse, another visitor... _anyone_, but the commotion caused by Mr.Weasley's injury had distracted the entire hospital staff.

A second cry, even more pitiful than the first, reached her ears, making her flinch. Muttering a curse under her breath, Fleur entered the room. Upon seeing her, the child tried to sit up but collapsed a moment later onto the pillows.

"Water," he moaned.

Fleur hesitated. Was she even allowed to be in this room? But his whimpering was becoming unbearable; she grabbed the empty glass beside the bed, allowing a quick spell from her wand to fill the glass with water.

"Here," she said quickly, thrusting the glass at the boy, whose grasp slipped. Water soaked the blankets and the child looked up with huge tearful eyes at Fleur. "Zut alors!" she muttered, drying the sheets with a flick of her wand. She refilled the glass and, wincing slightly, held the back of the boy's head while putting the rim of the glass upon his lips.

The boy took a tentative sip, and with Fleur's help he managed to down a quarter of the glass. He leaned into his pillows with a weary sigh that sounded too old for his years. Fleur turned to leave, but the rumpled sheets caught her eye. She straightened them, tucking the boy in as she used to do for Gabrielle.

"Mummy always did that for me," the boy whispered.

Fleur paused uncertainly. "Oh?"

"Stay with me, please?" He grasped her hand. And so she stayed.

* * *

When Fleur returned, Bill noticed she was looking very pale. "You look awful," he said, putting a hand at the small of her back. 

"Thank you," she replied wryly.

"Go home. I'll meet you there later."

"I could say the same to you," Mrs. Weasley said from behind them. As the couple turned to face her, she looked at Bill. "I think it's time to call it a night, Bill. Your father won't get any better with you just standing here."

"What about you?" he replied.

"I'm staying," she replied as if it were obvious.

"You just told _me _to leave."

"Bill, your father is my life. I cannot leave him behind."

"And you expect me to!" Bill spluttered. He took a breath, trying to calm himself. "Mum, you look exhausted. I'll take care of Dad; I want you to go home and rest."

His mother pushed him gently away. "No, Bill. Home is not a place; it's where the heart is. And my heart belongs here with your father." The stubborn Weasley streak in her was apparent now more than ever. "And I'm not budging from his side, so you better give up trying, young man."

"One more hour, at least?" he pleaded.

Molly's eyes softened. "One hour. No more." With that, she returned to her husband.

"Perhaps _you _should leave, however," Bill said gently, looking at Fleur."Gabrielle shouldn't be left alone for so long. And you look exhausted." He traced the dark bags under her eyes with his finger.

"Perhaps I should," she replied, and Apparated with a loud CRACK. Before she left, Bill did not miss the perturbed look on her face that had only grown in intensity after his mum had spoken to him.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers! Unfortunately I don't have the time to do individual responses. 

Also, do any of you want me to check out your story/stories? I am desperately in need of a good fanfic to read, so feel free to brag about your finest works.

Thanks to: **BrownEyedAthena, FirstDaysOfSummer, James'-gurl7492, InvisibleA, thequeeneb, Princess Myra, HarahettaMonkeyKing, passionflower24, Gallon of Firewhiskey, Lady of the Twilight Woods, fleur137, flowerweasley16, Adelian, Kill-All-Flamers, princess cythera, Star of the North, TheAmazingTecnocolorRingWraith, The Meeg, Sweet as Butterbeer, Galadriel112, Evelas, Wenham-Wonderer, Santiva Potter, Athena's snow wolf, illyria-light, SeeStar, Doodleflip, birds of morrigan, Girl with the Evil Computer, eva, froggifrog, Asphodele, ice cream, aggdgbfdgdafadgf, strawberry321, microbe, Angel Street, Isabielle, LothirielofRohan, AmberButterfly, tomatoyaya, The Untammed Shrew **(ohmigosh is your penname based on Shakespeare's play? I love it!) and **CrimsonNightmares**


	9. A Case of Very Bad Luck

It's time for me to apologize. Again. I'm sorry for being a horrible author and not updating in a million years and I can't believe I haven't updated in a month and I'm just _horrible_ and what's even more horrible than not updating in over a month is this ginormous run-on sentence which would be the death of my English teacher if he saw it.

Whew. Enough said. Thanks to all my reviewers!

**Chapter 9**

"You're still up," Bill said, surprised to see Fleur wide awake at the kitchen table when he returned from St. Mungo's. Her chin was resting on her hand.

"I could not sleep," she explained. "How is your father?"

"The same." He pulled out a chair across from her and sank into it wearily. "How are _you?"_

Fleur looked up sharply. "Why do you ask?"

"Only because you've had that strange look on your face ever since the hospital visit."

"Strange look?" she repeated blankly.

"Yes."

She opened her mouth as if to speak, but shut it closed quickly. Bill raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "What were you doing while I went in to see Dad?"

"Nothing," she said quickly. _Too _quickly.

"Busy sticking your nose in other people's business?" he teased, chuckling. He was surprised by the vehement glare that was shot across the table at him. "Oh. Was it something I said?"

"Yes." Her voice was stiff, cold.

"Fleur, please. What happened?"

There was a pregnant pause. At last, she said, "I was walking. I heard someone cry out; I followed the sound. I saw a boy. A very sick boy. Just about Gabrielle's age. He asked for water, so I poured him some. But I was afraid to touch him, and the glass slipped..."

"Why were you afraid to touch him?"

"I don't know..." she faltered. "I... I was afraid. He was sick. I thought..."

"His germs would attack you? You were afraid of a little boy?" He chuckled, but almost immediately knew it was the wrong thing to do...

Fleur's eyes flashed dangerously. "I do not find it funny at all," she said coldly. All the disdain and aloofness he'd seen on her face the first time he'd laid eyes on her, all the frostiness he had taken months to melt, had returned. "You are an unfeeling, callous man, Bill Weasley. And I thought of all people, you understood me most.

"But perhaps I was wrong."

* * *

They hadn't spoken to each other for four days now. Bill felt a bit foolish, since it was his fault, but his pride wouldn't allow him to apologize. Fleur, still as furious as ever, didn't even think of apologizing. Gabrielle, on the other hand, did all she could to reconcile the two, but her every attempt failed miserably. 

Even their coworkers noticed the tension between them. Mandy had once asked, tentatively, "Is everything all right between you and Bill?" and had been given such a curt, sarcastic answer from Fleur that _they_ were refusing to speak again, and Greg was left caught in the middle. Ironically the situation had switched; when Bill had been the mediator between them before, Greg had taken his place, and was often heard grumbling in the staffroom about "all the bloody drama that happens in that room every day."

Little did he know that the drama was about to continue...

* * *

The '92 file was gone. 

Fleur had checked and double-checked and triple-checked (if there is such a word) but to no avail... it was truly missing. And she knew for sure, since she had kept an eye on that file every day...

The only person who knew about her suspicions was Bill. And her pride wouldn't -- _couldn't_ -- allow her to ask for his advice. Instead, she decided to wait it out...

True to her suspicions, the file was returned to its original place only a day later. Waiting until the others had left, she took the file, breathless, and compared its contents to those of the copy she had made before.

The numbers were wrong. Someone had tampered with the file.

Fleur started to panic. What if the others found out? What if they blamed it on her? Should she have told someone?

"What are you doing?"

Fleur spun around, her heart racing. She saw Greg standing in the doorway, his arms crossed. There was a smile on his face, the look of a particularly smug cat who just caught a mouse in its claws.

"What's that in your hands?" he asked, striding forward. Before Fleur could stop him, he grabbed the file and the copy Fleur had made. "Hmmm..." he said as he compared the two. "Interesting..." He looked at Fleur, looking intensely curious.

"Now tell me, Fleur Delacour... why are these in your possession?"

"Look, it is not what it seems..." she said helplessly.

"Just answer the question, please." He looked so confidently patient, it was irritating.

"That is my business," Fleur replied curtly.

"The more you keep from me, the more suspicious I find your situation..." Greg tossed the file on the desk."Let me explain. Sit down, this may take a moment."

Fleur sank into the chair closest toher, feeling as if she were watching a nightmare unfold before her.

"You came from France one day. Randomly? Out of the blue? No, I think there was a reason for your appearance in England. In England's _biggest bank_, no less." Greg began pacing slowly to and fro. "Just a week after you arrived here, I noticed a discrepancy in the 1990 file. The records showed that supposedly a significant amount of money had been taken from the bank, but then when I compared the file to the official list of withdrawals and such made in that year, _less_ money than the amount written in the file had been actually taken. Are you understanding this?"

"Yes," she replied weakly, realizing that the same exact occurrence had happened with the '92 file.

"And now I find you... conveniently _alone_... examining the fixed file and a copy of the original records..." He stopped pacing and faced her. "Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

"Are you calling me a _thief?_" Fleur asked hotly, anger bubbling inside of her. "Are you accusing _me?_"

"I am."

"You have no proof! No true evidence!" Fleur protested, feeling panicked once more. Oh, _how_ was she going to get out of this?

Greg picked up the file and held it before her. "I think this is proof enough."

"You assume too much." She narrowed her eyes.

"At the scene of a crime, one is forced to make assumptions."

"And if the assumptions are not correct?"

"I have to take that chance."

The air seemed to be filled completely with the tension of unspoken words between them. "And you are willing to take the chance," she said softly, "of accusing an innocent person."

Greg paused, then looked away, almost as if he were feeling guilty. At last he looked back at Fleur. "No," he said quietly. "I am not." Their gazes locked. "Which is why I will give you another chance. But tell me, what was the true reason you came?"

"I wanted a new experience. I wanted to see a life beyond mine in France. I wanted to meet new people, see new things. And so I came here."

There was another uncomfortable pause. "All right," Greg said at last. "I believe in second chances, and you _seem_ sincere enough at least... But no running off in the middle of the night, you hear?"

"A Delacour never flees," Fleur replied coldly.

"Do I have your word?"

"Did I not just say so?"

"Good. But remember -- I'll be watching you."

* * *

After another painfully silent dinner, Fleur and Gabrielle went upstairs to their room. "_My _room," Bill grumbled, settling onto the couch that had become his bed for the past few months. He was just starting to fall asleep when a sharp tap resounded against the window. 

"Bloody hell," he groaned, getting up to let the impatient owl in. He recognized Errol immediately. "Hello old fellow," he greeted the family owl. "Congratulations for making it here in one piece." He took the note attached to the owl's outstretched leg. It was from his mum.

_Dear Bill,_

_I just wanted to notify you that your father is doing much better, and we are all ecstatic. He will be allowed to have a group of visitors at a time in a few days or so... Everyone is going to visit him on Christmas Day; I do hope you'll be joining us, dear. Harry and Hermione are joining us for the holidays at Grimmauld Place. Unfortunately we will not be spending Christmas at the Burrow; none of us can bear to leave Sirius alone in that godforsaken place. I hope that is all right with you. _

_All my love,  
__Mum_

Bill was about to fold the letter and place it in his robes when he saw the small note at the bottom. He groaned, immediately wishing he hadn't seen it. The words he read, which tacitly implied the curiosity and suspicion that every mother feels when her child is romantically involved with someone, said:

_PS -- Just because I was in hysterics about your father that night doesn't mean I have forgotten that girl who came to St. Mungo's with you. I am **fully** aware that she is living with you (my source of that information will remain undisclosed to you), and I feel it is necessary for me to meet her properly. You **will **bring her to Christmas dinner,won't you dear?_

* * *

A/N: I'm aware that Fleur was never at the Christmas dinner in the fifth book, but I'm sticking her in anyway. Actually... I have a question for you all -- Would you prefer Fleur to "meet the family" at Grimmauld Place or at the Burrow? I can arrange either. Please give me your opinion in your review! 

Also, Star of the North -- I realize I told you just yesterday (or was it the day before?) that I would put this on hiatus, but it seems the very thought piqued my interest in this story once more. And I have you to thank! ;)


	10. Bring on the Burrow

It's been such a long time since I updated this! SORRY!

Thank you to all who contributed input about Fleur's meeting place with the Weasleys. I've decided to have her meet them at the Burrow; I _am _aware they spent the holidays at Grimmauld Place, so I've obviously taken the liberty to change things around a bit. Don't sue me!

PS - Thanks to **Girl with the Evil Computer **for her adorable dance to the "almighty" me (you flatter me!), to **KingOfShippers **and **Star of the North** for getting me off my lazy arse, and everyone else for all the lovely reviews. My reviewers are like chocolate chip cookies. They keep me going. ;)

**Chapter 10**

"So you're just going to keep giving me the cold shoulder, is that it? In front of my family?" Pause. "For Merlin's sake, Fleur, just give me a yes or a no, is that too much to ask?"

Silence.

"Fine, have it your way. I don't care if everyone ends up thinking you're a hostile, frigid bitc-"

"BILL! You came!" An ecstatic Mrs. Weasley hurled herself into Bill's arms, planting kisses on his cheek. "Why on earth were you two standing on the doorstep for so long? Come in, come in!" Without warning, she directed a look at Fleur that clearly said you-better-be-worthy-of-my-son-even-though-I highly-doubt-it. "I suppose you can come in, too."

"Mum! I'm appalled." A handsome young man, who looked just under Bill's age, appeared at the door. He looked at Fleur and extended his hand. "Hello, I'm Charlie."

"Hello, Charlie, it's lovely to meet you," Fleur said in an exaggeratedly sweet voice just because she knew it would annoy Bill, whom she absolutely refused to forgive.

"It's Fleur!"

"Hello, ol' girl!" The twins raced across the room to greet Fleur.

"Have we met before?" she said haughtily, wrinkling her nose. Mrs. Weasley frowned at this apparent rudeness. The twins, however, understood Fleur was teasing and only grinned.

"Fleur, this is Ron. You've seen him around before."

"Hullo," Ron mumbled, turning scarlet. Fleur only smiled at his gawkiness.

"And this is our kid sister, Ginny."

"Hello," Ginny said sullenly, not looking at all pleased to see Fleur in her home.

There was a loud "I'm home!" from outside.

"It's Dad," Charlie explained.

"He's just come back from business at Grimmaul-"

"_Fred!_" Mrs. Weasley shrieked.

"Er... the place where we spent Christmas."

Bill observed Fleur shrewdly as she interracted with his family. So far, it seemed Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were not taken with her at all; his mum kept staring at her with narrowed, calculating eyes, while Ginny merely seemed bored with her. Percy, as expected, barely noticed what was going on because he was so engrossed in his Ancient Runes book, while Mr. Weasley was friendly and congenial toward her, as he was with everyone. Ron was... acting like a besotted idiot, no offense to him. Charlie seemed to get along all too well with her, which _almost _displeased him.

The oddest relationship, however, was between Fleur and the twins. Bill couldn't understand it. All throughout dinner, Fleur put on her most dignified and bored face, yet once in a while Fred and George would laugh uproarously and say "Golly, you're a riot!" and Bill couldn't figure out what Fleur had done to make them crack up so. Once, Bill couldn't tell if he'd imagined it or not, but he thought she saw her wink at them. It was as if there was a private joke between the three that no one else understood, and though he refused to admit it to himself, he was jealous.

Because to him, she was as icy as the coldest day of winter.

"What's wrong with you?" he whispered angrily to her after dinner, pulling her into a corner. "Mum thinks there is something _seriously _wrong between us, and I don't blame her 'cause this isn't what a relationship's supposed to be like!"

"Really?" she said, arching an eyebrow.

"Could you make _some_ kind of indication that things are all right between us? Mum wanted to meet you not only to see what kind of person you are, but also to see how we interract."

"Well I suppose she isn't pleased, because she hasn't been exactly friendly tonight."

"Neither have you!" Bill shouted in exasperation.

Fleur narrowed her eyes. "Do not raise your voice at me."

"I'm sorry."

"Are you really?"

"No."

"Thought so."

"Can you stop being so... difficult?" Bill ran his hand through his hair, looking as if he'd give anything to join the snowball fight his siblings were having outside.

"All right," she said. "How about this? I'll be the _perfect, lovey-dovey_, _girlfriend_ you want your mother to see."

"No, not... I didn't mean that, I-"

Ignoring him, she snapped, "You won't be disappointed."

* * *

Ginny wanted nothing more than to smack her older brother's girlfriend. She couldn't _believe _a man of his caliber had chosen a complete twit like her - out of all the eligible bachelorettes in London! 

She stared in disgust as Fleur draped her arms around Bill and cooed into his ear, giggling and smiling for all she was worth, playing with his hair, then caressing his cheek, then planting a kiss on his lips... It was absolutely _revolting!_

She caught her mother's eye, and they both shared a look that screamed, _"We have to get her out of this house!"_

"Ginny, dear, I visited the bakery before I came home to buy pastries to share with our guest," Mr. Weasley said, smiling at Fleur. "They're in the kitchen; could you get them and pass them around?"

"Only for you, Dad," Ginny said through gritted teeth. She emptied the box onto her mother's silver platter and returned to the sitting room. "Would you like a pastry, Phlegm - er, _Fleur?"_

"Thank you! Oh, isn't she the sweetest?" Fleur gushed, taking a pastry. "You first, love," she cooed, holding the baked good to Bill's lips.

Feeling like she wanted to vomit, Ginny dropped the platter and ran from the room, biting her bottom lip to stop from screaming at the top of her lungs.

* * *

Watching the littlest Weasley flee from the room, Fleur could hardly suppress a smug smile. Bill was certainly getting what he wanted, wasn't he? The whole family thought she was an insufferable, brainless twit who couldn't keep her eyes or her hands off of the eldest son, and the whole time she was laughing at them. Especially that Mrs. Weasley! Fleur fought hard to resist the urge to throw her head back and laugh. 

She must've been unable to keep a smile off her face because Bill murmured into her ear, "I'm not amused. Not at _all_."

"But it's what you wanted!" she pouted innocently, kissing him with exaggerated tenderness. "It's all for you, love."

"I almost prefer the silent treatment," he snapped.

This time, Fleur really did throw her head back and laugh. Mrs. Weasley, for the forty-second time that night, narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

* * *

"She is without doubt, the _stupidest, _the most _disgraceful,_ the most _superficial _girl I've ever seen!" 

"Mum, please don't shout, it's almost midnight," Bill pleaded as he stood before his mother in the kitchen.

"_I _don't like her," she continued, ignoring him. "And nor does Ginny. And we _know_; we women have a psychic intuition about these things, and that girl is not right for you!"

"You haven't given her a chance!" Bill argued.

"A chance?" she shrieked. "I've given her all the _chances _she needs! What a simpering, mindless fool of a girl! She clung to you like a _leech _tonight!"

"Mum, let me explain. She's not always like that, I swear..."

"Only around your _family_, is that it?" She narrowed her eyes.

"She was doing it purposely to get even with me."

"So that's how she plays her games, hmm?"

"Games? It wasn't a _game_, mum. She was angry with me before we arrived, and I told her to-"

"Oh, she was _angry _with you!" Mrs. Weasley crossed her arms. "Is this new, or does this happen often?"

"Merlin, this is coming out all wrong..."

"I couldn't agree more. She is _completely wrong_ for you."

"Mum, you're twisting my words! You're not letting me explain!"

"She's a veela, Bill. At least _part _veela."

"What are you trying to say?" Bill said, his anger rising. "What does that have anything to do with it?"

"She can break your heart like _that._" His mum snapped her fingers. "You want to continue a relationship with a girl like that?"

"Mum, you've really crossed the line..."

"Look at your future, Bill Weasley! Picture yourself lying somewhere, alone... a victim of a horrible freak accident, God forbid, but say it did happen! Can you see a girl like that staying by your side? _Can you?_" (A/N: ohhhhh talk about HBP foreshadowing!)

"I can," he said firmly.

"Oh, _especially _since you two are in a row right now," she said sarcastically.

"I'm finished with this conversation. Good night."

"You're my son, I'm trying to _protect _you!" His mum's voice rose to a higher pitch, almost hysterical. "Look what happened to the last one! Look how _that _turned out!"

Bill froze. "Oh no, you didn't."

Mrs. Weasley began to cry. "We thought she was a nice girl, Bill... I really did like her... and then she betrayed you..."

"Well if you were wrong about Diane, then you could be wrong about Fleur," he said coldly.

"But why?" She said tearfully. "Why are you so taken with her? Why are you standing up for her - against your own _mum, _no less - when you don't even get along with her? Why?"

Suddenly overcome with affection towards his loving, albeit overprotective, mum, Bill took her in his arms and hugged her tightly.

"It seems love does that to people."

* * *

Fleur experiened a rather..._ chaotic _pre-bedtime scene, for the twins had put a powder in the nozzle of the showerhead that turned her skin a brilliant purple as the water mixed with the powder to create a spray of a rather violent shade of violet. (After turning her skin back to its original fair quality, she got sweet revenge by confiscating _all _of their finished joke products and then leaving them to hang upside-down from their bedroom ceiling until Ginny, hearing their shouts and jolly threats to murder Fleur, walked in, horrified to see her brothers in such a position.) 

Ginny had kindly... well actually, very _grudgingly_, given up her room to Fleur and had taken a sleeping bag to Ron's room, where she would sleep on the floor. Fleur settled into the small bed, silently touching the threadbare sheets, and lay down to stare up at the ceiling, where Ginny had put an enormous poster of England's Quidditch team.

Apart from the time she was laughing at the family (or, in the twins' case, laughing _with _them), Fleur couldn't help but notice what a nice... _home_ it was, in every sense of the word.

"Even though they _do _reproduce like rabbits," she thought, shuddering to think of having to raise seven children.

Life here could hardly be called luxurious (Fleur's mother would be appalled at the state of this... house, if that's what it could be called), but still... it was wonderful in its own way.

* * *

Bill stood outside Ginny's room for precisely eight minutes and twenty-three seconds (his wristwatch could attest to this fact), shifting from one foot to the other trying to decide whether or not he'd get his head bitten off if he dared confront Fleur. Finally, with the last bit of resolve he had left, he turned the knob and entered. 

"Fleur?" There was no response. He sat on the bed beside her still form. "Fleur?"

Again, silence.

"I guess you're either sleeping or ignoring me... in any case, I want to tell you I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh at you that day; it was wrong of me, and I had no right either to tell you how to act in front of my mum. Speaking of which, I didn't realize..." He paused. Should he continue? Or better yet, was she even awake? Before he could chicken out, he plunged on, "I didn't realize how much I really care for you... I stood up for you, Fleur. My mum was rude to you and I'm sorry for that, but she was just being overprotective, as always, and she didn't want me getting hurt in a relationship again. But you know what? For you, I'm willing to take the risk, and -"

"And you choose a time past midnight to tell me this?" came Fleur's muffled voice from the pillow.

"You were awake."

"Obviously."

"That's your reaction to all I've just said," Bill replied in cold disbelief. "After telling you everything, after making myself vulnerable..."

"I was waiting for you to shut up and tell me you love me."

Shocked by her answer, he leaned forward. _"What?"_

"I love you," Fleur said matter-of-factly, as if it was an everyday occurrence to make declarations of love. "And you, do you love me or not?"

"Do you really need to ask?"

"It would be nice to hear you say it."

"You're impossible," Bill said, unable to hold back a laugh. "I love you. _Very much_. Happy?"

"Very."

"Can I stay?" he asked, slipping into the sheets before she could even answer.

"'_Do you really need to ask?' _" she mimicked, laughing. "Would Ginny be terribly upset if she knew we are both sleeping in her bed?"

"Most likely. But what she doesn't know can't hurt, am I right?"

"No, you're always wrong," Fleur teased.

"Not about _you_."

* * *

A/N: Well, there you are! Hopefully that wasn't _too _fluffy! Anyway, I do hope you like my interpretation of Fleur; I disliked her yucky mushiness in _The Half-Blood Prince_ so I created a reason behind it. Oh, and I hope it wasn't too OOC that she shares a bond with Fred and George. 

REVIEW! Please?


	11. False Accusations

I've just decided at this moment that I'm giving Fleur her accent back; I think she's too out of character without her accent, you know? Sorry for the change so late in the story! I'm capricious like that.

Also, I'm thinking there will be twelve chapters total in this story...thus making this one the second to last. -sniff- It's been fun.

**Chapter 11**

Fleur awoke to the marvelous feeling of having her shoulders massaged. She sighed blissfully, turning over to face the man responsible for such a pleasant morning wakeup call.

"I am not going to work," she whispered into the nape of his neck.

Bill uttered a low chuckle into her ear. "We have to."

"Why do zey make us go back ze day after New Year's?" she complained. "Eet makes no sense."

"Life makes no sense, love. Now, up!" Bill yanked the sheets off the bed playfully.

"I will hex you ze next time you do zat," Fleur grumbled, rising.

After breakfast, they walked hand in hand toward Gringotts. Fleur nestled close to Bill, smiling up at him.

"It _was_ a relaxing vacation, though, wasn't it?" Bill said to her. "Except for that fiasco with my family..."

"I think eet went very well." Fleur laughed, thinking back on her..._successful_...relationship with the two Weasley women. Bill, taken with her enchanting laughter and the halo of snowflakes falling around her golden head, stopped in the middle of the street and kissed her deeply.

"However did you ever ensnare a simple, down-to-earth man like me?" he queried after pulling away.

"Eet was not 'ard. I think zat you came very easily."

"Oh, is that so?" he growled, earning another winning laugh from her. "It won't be so easy next time."

"Zere will be no next time," Fleur replied breezily. "You are already mine." A clever reply was on the tip of Bill's tongue when they were stopped, immediately, at the front doors.

"What eez ze matter?" Fleur demanded, seeing two men standing guard the entrance. Greg stepped forward immediately upon seeing her.

"Happy New Year, Miss Delacour. You're under arrest."

xxx

"You see, Miss Delacour, this is a question of timing. You arrive in London, for no apparent reason other than the fact that you wanted the experience of living here, and then suddenly files are being tampered or going missing. Can you blame us for suspecting you, Miss Delacour?"

"Since when was I _Miss Delacour _and no longer Fleur?" she snapped irritably.

"Since you became a primary suspect," Greg replied.

"You 'ave made a grave mistake," Fleur replied insistently. "You 'ave ze wrong person. Let me go."

"You're staying here in the Ministry until you are put on trial. Azkaban, of course, is out of the question as of now for such a petty crime...unless we discover there is _more _to it than we thought."

"Who put you in charge anyway?" Fleur snapped. "You are an employee at Gringotts like ze rest of us."

"Ah, now that's where you are mistaken," Greg replied smugly. "I was placed there by the Ministry. We've been suspecting foulplay for a while yet, you see."

"So why are you accusing _me, _zen? Eef zese things 'ave been 'appening for so long, zen why take _me?" _Greg frowned at this query.

"Well, you see, I..."

"I think _you _are ze culprit 'ere," Fleur said accusingly. "You are just looking for someone to blame! So ze Ministry will think you are doing your job well."

"That is _not _true!" Greg pounded his fist on the desk, furious.

"_'Zat is not true!'_" Fleur repeated in a singsong voice, mimicking him. "Grow up, Greg, and when you do, owl me. I will be waiting, locked up in my miserable cell." She stood, looking down at him haughtily. "I will not answer any more questions." With all the fury of a frenzied whirlwind, she stormed out of the room, leaving the guards at the door to chase after her as she entered her cell of her own volition.

"Come to lock me in, gentlemen?" she sneered, facing them. Terrified, the guards muttered locking spells in the direction of the door and fled.

xxx

"I've come to see Fleur Delacour, please."

"Room number 304. Here is your guest pass. You have a half hour."

"Thank you."

Bill made his way anxiously to the designated room, his mind racing. The whole ordeal had been kept quiet; no one else at the bank knew that Fleur had been arrested and taken to the Ministry. He couldn't make sense of it - in any other case, newspapers would have been swarming around Gringotts within the hour, asking questions and demanding to know what part the beautiful half-veela played in this controversy. What _was _the controversy, anyhow?

"I'm visiting Miss Delacour," Bill explained to the guard, who looked visibly relieved to see him.

"Hopefully you'll be able to calm her temper," the guard replied, looking fearfully at the closed door behind him. "She's been in a foul mood the whole time...To think, she's been here only this morning and she's got us wishing they'd just let her go and leave us already!"

"Why?" Bill queried, fighting hard to hide his amusement.

"She said her room was dirty; I had to clean it up. She said the room was stuffy; I had to crack open the windows, which haven't been opened in eleven years, mind you, so a shower of dust and debris fell on top of me. Then she said she was hungry, and I had to go grab her a sandwich, which she claimed tasted like "merde," whatever that means. _Then, _she said she was horribly bored and that I must sing for her to amuse her, and so I sang an old Irish pub song - those are the only kind I know - and she screamed in my face and told me I was a horrible singer, and that I should be _hanged _for making such a noise, and as I left, she was positively _dying _with laughter! Plus she's been calling me all these strange words and I just _know _she's cussing me out in French!" At this point, the guard was breathing heavily, and looked traumatized.

"I think it's time for me to see her," Bill said quickly before a laugh could escape his lips.

"Yes, yes, it's high time!" the guard cried, shoving Bill into the room and slamming the door.

"Hello, Fleur."

"Shh!"

Bill stood before the door, bemused by Fleur's antics. She was placing one foot carefully in front of the other and walking along the wall. Finally, when she reached the corner of the room, she turned toward him.

"Zere are fifteen of my footsteps going zis way in ze room, and twenty-two going ze long way. Zere are also thirty-two cracks in ze ceiling, and thirteen in ze windows, and I think I 'eard mice in ze floors. Oh, and ze bed 'as bugs, I am sure of it."

Bill, laughing uncontrollably, took long strides toward her and captured her in his arms. "Bored, much?"

"Terribly," she replied into his neck.

"Fleur, is there something I should know abotu you? Are you a notorious criminal?"

"You are a very funny man, Bill Weez-ley," Fleur retorted sarcastically.

"What are you, really?" he persisted, feigning uncontainable curiosity. "An infamous bank-robber? A clever jewel thief? Perhaps even a world-renowned con artist?"

"What eez next on your list? A cold-'earted murderer?"

"You read my mind!" He feigned shock.

Fleur suddenly slumped against him. "I am tired of zis, Bill," she whispered.

"You've been here for five hours, Fleur. The _guard_ is more tired than you are."

"As 'e should be."

"Fleur..."

"I do not know why I'm 'ere, Bill. I know what eet eez you're going to ask. Eet eez something to do with ze files; I do not know... Zat ee-diot Greg thinks I did eet... Am I in ze newspapers, Bill?"

"_That's _your primary concern?" Bill chuckled. "Actually, they've been remarkably quiet about the incident."

"I think ze Ministry kept eet zat way..." Fleur explained the opinions she had formed."I think zey had something to do with ze bank. I overheard someone at ze bank saying before zat ze Ministry 'as recently taken control of keeping ze bank records. But now ze records are messed up, zey do not want to let ze public know ze mistake...?"

"It makes sense," Bill said slowly, mentally digesting the idea. "But why _you?"_

"Exactly! Eet eez zat ee-diot Greg. I think 'e set me up."

"What!"

"Look at zis," she said, thrusting a piece of parchment towards him. "I took eet on my way out from ze room where I was being questioned."

"Oh, Fleur, you can't just _take_ things." Bill shook his head but read the parchment in question anyway:

_Greg-_

_I don't have much to confirm my suspicions, but I have a hunch something will be happening. Soon. As in tomorrow night. I was looking over the research we did and I ... (ink is smudged here and words are illegible) ... Remember that botched robbery attempt of V. 543 some while back? Well I think ... (more smudged ink) ... Are you ready? I'll meet you ... stake-out ... keep watch ... need backup ... **V. 132!**_

"What the bloody hell does this all mean?" Bill wondered, reading the note for the third time.

"There eez going to be anuzzer robbery attempt!" Fleur grabbed his arm. "And we need to be zere to prevent eet!"

"Why not turn this note in?"

"We need to _catch _him doing zis," she said fiercely. "I want to be avenged for being set up by him!"

"That's a harsh accusation to make, Fleur, you can't just go around saying things like that!" He took her in his arms. "If you could prove it, love, you'd be out of here in a heartbeat. But... but how will getting involved in _this _help you back it up?"

"Zat is why I need you to 'elp me."

xxxxxxxxx

A/N: Wow, I hope this isn't getting too AU, especially since there's only one chapter left...which I haven't entirely planned, by the way. Wish me luck! Oh, and _please _let me know what you think about Fleur's accent change, now that you know what it's like. Would you rather have me remove it?


End file.
